Tell Me I'm Dreaming: Year One
by letsgostargazing
Summary: Evelyn Reid is a half-blood witch who grew up in a Muggle family. When Professor McGonagall shows up to her house and informs Evelyn that she is a witch, she can hardly believe it. Soon, her life changes in every way possible -from new friends, new enemies, and new secrets, her first year at Hogwarts will definitely be one for the books! (Primarily OC POV, 2 years prior to book 1)
1. 0: Foreword

**Foreword:**

This is the first Harry Potter fanfiction I have published online, though I have come up with countless other stories. I have several scenes planned for different chapters/years, but I am going to be writing the story as it comes to me for the rest. TMID is the first installment of seven in the Evelyn Reid series – each new year will include a new title, new description, new characters, new enemies, and new adventures.

The first two installments will be almost entirely made up by me, since we do not know much Fred's and George's first two years at Hogwarts. Thus, a few things can be deduced.

Voldemort will not be a threat to the school, anyone at the school, and will hardly play a role in the grand scheme of things.

This story will focus on Evelyn's experiences at Hogwarts, and will be told from her POV most of the time.

This will be a story of friendship, adventure, morality, and self-discovery. Romance will not play too much of a role, at least in the first few installments.

I cannot promise that I will not kill off other characters on my own, but that will likely not be until later. This story may be a bit more OC focused, rather than focusing on the canon characters.

The rating of TMID could increase eventually, once darker topics are brought up. If there is any potentially triggering material, I will write a foreword at the beginning of the chapter to warn you.

As it stands, my WC averages around 3.5k, and I do wish to increase that once I get more accustomed to the story, my own writing, and have a clearer plan of how to continue.

Please leave reviews and let me know if there is anything you would like to see.

 _Harry Potter_ , rather unfortunately, does not belong to me. It belongs to our queen, J.K. Rowling, and I only own my OC's in the story.

Enjoy!


	2. I: McGonagall's Visit

It was July 17th, 1988. Evelyn Reid sat at her family's little kitchen table, a spoon of porridge in her hand. _It's too early_ she thought to herself, eyes drooping slightly, _why is the sun so bright today?_

"Sleep well?" her mother, Mikyung, asked suddenly, making Evelyn jump. The latter sighed and shrugged without looking at her mother. "Well enough," she replied quietly, "how about you?"

Mikyung sighed heavily. "Well. Until around 6am, of course."

"Owls again?" Evelyn asked, swallowing another spoonful of porridge. Her mother nodded.

"Should we call pest control?" a deeper voice asked suddenly. Both women turned to see a rather tall man walk into the room - it was Evelyn's step-father, Oliver.

"If it continues," Mikyung replied, walking into the kitchen, "tea?"

Evelyn sighed but didn't say anything else. She thought about the owls that had been flying around recently. At first, the family thought they were just curious. However, when they noticed that the owls would sit and _watch_ them (during the day!), they realized that something was up.

The owls weren't the only odd occurrences. Over the past couple of months, a number of rather unexplainable things have happened to or because of Evelyn. One day a couple months ago, she fell off a tree she was climbing and sustained no injuries from her 15 feet fall. A couple items have seemingly flown across the room - Oliver nearly called an exorcist. The arrival of the owls hasn't helped anything either.

"I'm heading off to work," Oliver called suddenly, pulling Evelyn out of her mind. He kissed his wife on the cheek, and smiled at Evelyn. "See you two tonight!"

"Bye Dad!" Evelyn called, smiling slightly.

"Have a good day at work," Mikyung said softly.

With a smile and a wave, Oliver was off, leaving Mikyung and Evelyn alone.

The rest of the day was relatively uneventful.

Evelyn spent the day doing a few summer assignments for her upcoming history class. Her father arrived home from work around 4pm, and around 5pm, the family sat down for a quiet dinner - grilled salmon, white rice, and steamed vegetables.

"How was work?" Mikyung asked Oliver as they passed dishes around.

"Not bad," Oliver replied, shrugging as he scooped a generous portion of fish onto his plate, "we were in a meeting for most of the day, actually. Trying to solidify a partnership with a previously rival company."

"Do you think it went well?" Mikyung asked. Oliver sighed.

"I would like to think so," he said, "most of the team support the coalition. A few are wary of teaming up with the _enemy_ , but in the end, it's really not their-"

 _Knock, knock!_

Oliver stopped talking abruptly, and the whole room went silent. Someone had knocked on their door.

"Stay here," Oliver said to his wife and daughter, quickly standing from his chair.

"Who could that be?" Mikyung asked herself quietly, "on a Wednesday evening, my goodness…"

The two could hear Oliver walk rather quietly to the door. There was a pause, and moments later, the door opened.

"Good evening," they heard a lady's voice say kindly, "I am sorry to interrupt your evening activities. May I have a word with your family?"

"Pardon me, but may I ask who you are first?" they heard Oliver reply in a tense voice. The lady laughed softly.

"Please, Sir. I am no threat to you or your family whatsoever. In fact, what I wish to discuss with you regards your daughter, Evelyn."

Evelyn's ears perked up.

"Evelyn?"

There was a long pause before Oliver sighed and closed the door. "Very well. Come in."

Two pairs of footsteps walked down their long hallway until they came into view. The lady who had knocked on the door was rather old looking, with silver hair pulled into a tight bun low on the back of her head. She had light eyes, wore half-moon glasses, and her smile was warm and welcoming.

"Hello," she said, "my name is Minerva McGonagall. _Professor_ Minerva McGonagall. I teach at a school that has accepted Evelyn just this year."

"We applied to no private schools," Mikyung said quietly, her eyebrows furrowing slightly, "what is this about? How did you get our information?"

Minerva McGonagall smiled slightly. "I apologize for not explaining everything immediately. However, what I am about to tell you may...shock you. So, please, do not be too alarmed. I will explain everything in due time."

The family of three looked at each other apprehensively before looking back at Minerva McGonagall.

"Okay. Please, Ms. McGonagall. Continue," Oliver said.

Minerva nodded, and pulled an envelope out of the inside of her plum colored cloak. She walked over to Evelyn and held out said envelope. Evelyn didn't move for a second. She looked up at the elderly lady, who merely stared back at her with kind eyes. Determining that it would be best to get it over with quickly, she grabbed the envelope and held it in her hand.

"This may seem like a joke," Minerva continued as Evelyn began to slowly open the envelope, careful not destroy the wax seal, "however, I assure you that every bit of it is serious and true."

Evelyn's hands were shaking as she finally opened the envelope. Slowly, she reached in and pulled out the letter. There were three to four pages included, so she grabbed the first one. With a deep breath, she opened the letter, and began to read out loud.

"Dear Miss Reid.

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of...Witchcraft and... Wizardry… Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. Term begins on September 1st. We await your...owl...by no later than July 31st. Yours Sincerely, Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress…"

The room was silent for what seemed like forever. Evelyn re-read the letter nearly five times. _Witchcraft and Wizardry? Hogwarts? Owl? What is going on?_

Minerva could obviously see the concern in everyone's (especially Evelyn's) eyes, and thus began to speak moments later.

"I know this seems like a shock to you all, and-"

"A shock?" Oliver exclaimed, eyes wide, "this is a joke! This must be a joke. There's no such thing as magic!"

Minerva didn't laugh or smile this time. Her lips pursed, and she continued.

"This is no joke," she stated firmly, "this is very, very real, and you should be extremely proud of your daughter."

"Ah...There must be a mistake," Mikyung said in a softer tone than Oliver's, frowning, "this can't be right… We are normal people. No magic whatsoever. Magic...Doesn't exist…"

Minerva inhaled deeply.

"Mikyung," she stated, "I know you are no witch."

"And I'm no wizard," Oliver mumbled to himself, reading through the letter that Evelyn handed him.

"I know that too," Minerva replied calmly, "however. Evelyn's biological father was most definitely a wizard."

The room fell silent once again. No one had spoken of Evelyn's biological father for a very long time. Mikyung never liked talking about him, for reasons Evelyn honestly did not know.

 _Is this why she never told me about him?_

"That...can't be true," Mikyung mumbled, pursing her lips, "I knew him very well…"

"Many witches and wizards keep their powers a secret from their Muggle partners, family, and friends," Minerva said softly.

"Muggle?" Evelyn piped up, raising an eyebrow.

"Non-magical folk," Minerva explained simply. Evelyn nodded.

"So, you're telling us," Oliver said slowly, "that my daughter is a witch because her biological father was a wizard? Don't two parents have to be magical or whatever for their kid to be magical?"

"Not necessarily," Minerva replied, "they certainly can be. The magical community calls those people _purebloods_ , or individuals with all magical parents and family. A _half-blood_ , which is what Evelyn is, is an individual with one magical parent and one Muggle parent. Previous generations can be a mix of both. And, of course, there can be Muggle-born wizards as well, whose parents are both non-magical. All it takes is one wizard in their family to pass down the power. It can lay dormant for a while before showing up again."

The room was silent once again. No one spoke a word. Oliver's face was a mix of confusion and fear. Mikyung's face was mostly confusion, with a tad bit of pain. Evelyn was also confused, but a spark of curiosity and even excitement grew within her.

"Again," Minerva continued moments later, "I know that this is quite the shock. However, I genuinely hope that you support your daughter. You can, of course, refuse the offer, but I would not recommend that."

"How long would she be in school?" Mikyung asked in a quiet voice.

"Hogwarts offers seven full years of education," Minerva replied, "one _may_ leave after completing the fifth-year exams; however, most students stay the full duration of seven years. Many decide to obtain a job within the magical community. Other continue their lives as Muggles, though have a strong background in magic. Those decisions, however, do not need to be made for many more years."

"So, what then? Do we have to drive her there every day? Can she come home on weekends? What's the deal with that? What about her family? Friends here?" Oliver asked, his tone a bit more defensive than Mikyung's.

"Well, Hogwarts is comparable to a boarding school here. On September 1st, you would take her to King's Cross Station in London. From there, she would enter Platform 9¾ and board the Hogwarts Express, a locomotive that takes all of the students to the school. Hogwarts is a castle protected by hundreds of charms and spells, making it impossible to find by Muggles, whether by searching or by maps. She would have the option of returning home for Christmas break, Easter holiday, and then for summer break at the end of the school year. We, unfortunately, do not allow many trips back home, unless an emergency arises."

Oliver remained silent.

"Professor McGonagall," Evelyn said quietly, "this sounds...interesting and all… And even if I were to go...How do we pay for everything? Tuition? Supplies?"

"Well, dear, Hogwarts doesn't have tuition or dorm charges. You only need money to buy supplies for school, and anything else in the magical community."

"Do I have to exchange money?"

"You can," Minerva replied, "but that should not be an issue. I have checked with Gringotts, the Wizarding bank, and it appears your biological father left a generous amount of money to you. If you were to accept our offer, I or another faculty member would help you enter your vault at the bank. Now. There are three pieces of currency. A galleon, which is gold, a Sickle, which is silver, and a Knut, which is bronze. There are 17 Sickles to a Galleon, and 29 Knuts to a Sickle. One Galleon is worth roughly £5, if I'm not mistaken."

Another pause.

"I'm sorry to be brash," Oliver said, "but I still am not buying this. Evelyn, a witch? That just sounds ludicrous…"

"Are you asking me to prove myself for you to believe that magic exists?" Minerva asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It would definitely make this situation more believable. I mean… She's 10, for goodness' sake."

Minerva inhaled deeply but did not reply. She reached into her cloak and retrieved a long, smooth stick, presumably a wand.

"Wow," Evelyn whispered to herself. Minerva looked around for a moment before walking over to the family's fireplace. She held up her wand, pointed her wand at the logs, and said, " _Incendio_." In an instant, a flash of orange-red light shot out of the wand, and the logs that were once dark and dry were on fire, cackling quietly. She looked back up at the family, who were awe-struck.

"Proof enough?" she asked, a slight joking tone in her voice. No one nodded, but no one denied it either.

"You have time to decide," she continued, slipping her wand back into her cloak, "two weeks from today, to be exact. I would suggest, however, that you make your decision within a week so that someone can come and pick Evelyn up and help her shop for her required items. You can send a reply anytime - simply use one of the ows that will be around your house. Tell it to fly to Hogwarts, it will understand. Any more questions?"

Again, there were no replies.

"Very well," Minerva concluded, straightening her robes out, "that will do for now. You

have around a week to decide, realistically. Remember, send the owl any time. If you have any questions, feel free to write them to us. We will do our best to answer them. Evelyn-" she turned to the young girl, "-I do hope you consider attending our school. It would be an honor to have someone such as yourself as a pupil."

With those final words, Professor McGonagall walked briskly to their door, and within seconds, she was out the door and gone.

No one said a thing.

Over the next week or so, Evelyn spent most of her free time writing owls back and forth to this _Hogwarts_ place. Most of the letters were signed by Minerva McGonagall - a handful of them were signed by someone called Albus Dumbledore, who was apparently the headmaster of the school. With every letter she wrote, Evelyn's spirits rose, and with every reply she received, the more she felt as though this school was for her.

Her parents, on the other hand, were still extremely apprehensive towards the idea of their only daughter going to a magical school.

"I don't even want to think about all the danger you could be in at any moment," Oliver had grumbled to himself one morning at breakfast, "potions and spells flying every which way, students cursing each other to smithereens…"

"Actually," Evelyn interjected, "Professor McGonagall wrote me and told me that the use of magic in-between classes is strictly forbidden. Only in and after classes. Everything you do is traceable, and if you do something you're not supposed to, you'll get in trouble."

"Well, that's reassuring, isn't it, dear?" Mikyung commented in a quiet voice, smiling slightly. Oliver didn't reply.

Evelyn wasn't too fazed by her father's obvious distrust of the school - she was turning 11 soon, and this decision was hers to be made.

"I'm going up to write another letter," she stated after a few moments of silence, "I have a couple new questions to ask about the school. And Quidditch, the wizards' sport."

"Alright," Mikyung replied, sipping on her tea, "then make sure to do the dishwasher afterwards."

"Okay."

Without another word or a look back, Evelyn ran up the stairs and to her room. She closed the door gently and found her way to her desk, where a quickly dwindling stack of parchment and quill sat. She took a deep breath, lay a new piece of parchment on her desk, grabbed the quill, and began to write:

 _Hello, again._

 _Thank you for putting up with my hoard of letters recently. This is all so new to me, and I feel as though I have a whole lifetime of information to catch up on, even though I would learn more in person…Which brings me to the purpose of this letter._

 _I am writing to inform you that I formally accept your invitation to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I have discussed with my parents, and though they are still a bit apprehensive about the school (especially Oliver…), I feel as though this is the right decision for me._

 _To be honest, I haven't really discussed my decision with them yet… I plan to tell them the day I am supposed to leave for Diagon Alley to buy my supplies. I think that they will be okay with my choice - I simply don't want any more lectures or reasons not to go. This is my final decision. I am ready for this new chapter in my life._

 _Please let me know when to be ready to go to Diagon Alley. I will anxiously await your owl._

Evelyn N. Reid

After reading over her letter, she carefully folded it and, after stamping a wax seal on top, carefully wrapped the letter around the barn owl's leg. Within seconds, the owl was off, and Evelyn was alone, once again...

Evelyn received a reply that evening. Luckily, neither of her parents were home - she usually read the letter responses to them during dinner. She closed her bedroom door, and with shaking hands, carefully opened the letter.

 _Dear Evelyn,_

 _We are thrilled that you have accepted our invitation! We promise you that you will never regret your decision. Hogwarts will become a second family to you - a home away from home, if you will._

 _As for your supplies: I, Professor McGonagall, will accompany you to Diagon Alley. Please be ready on Wednesday, August 30th at 10am sharp. I will meet you at your front door, and from there, we will leave. Wear comfortable yet inconspicuous clothing (you will be measured for your robes), and be prepared for a long yet exciting day._

 _I eagerly await to see you again._

 _Minerva McGonagall_

Evelyn could hardly contain her excitement that tears began to form in her eyes. They were not tears of sadness, rather, tears of happiness and excitement. Pure joy.

"Just two more days," she said to herself, a huge smile forming on her lips, "two more days…"


	3. II: Diagon Alley

Those two days were the slowest two days of Evelyn's life. However, the time was a blur in her mind. Sitting at her kitchen table, she looked back on the past few days and could hardly remember anything. All she could think about was Hogwarts. Quidditch. Potions. Wands. Anything wizard-related, really.

She gazed up at the clock in the kitchen, and her heart nearly skipped a beat - it was already 9:45 already. In a mere 15 minutes, Professor McGonagall would be arriving at her doorstep, ready to lead Evelyn on a new exciting adventure.

"What on earth are you doing up so early?" Mikyung's soft voice called from the stairs. Evelyn turned to see her mother walking towards her, eyes still tired from waking up. Evelyn didn't respond to her mother's question. Rather, she blurted out rather quickly, "where's Dad?"

"He doesn't have to go in until 11 today, dear," Mikyung replied, "why do you ask?"

"I need to talk to you both quickly," Evelyn said in a small voice, pursing her lips, "it's very important."

"Oh, is it about that school?"

"Yes."

Mikyung nodded and led her daughter up to the master bedroom, where Oliver was just tying his tie in front of the mirror.

"Oh, good morning!" Oliver said, turning his head and smiling at his family, "Evelyn, you're up early. What's up?"

Evelyn didn't reply immediately. Her mind searched for the words she so desperately wanted to say.

"Is something wrong? Are you sick?"

"She said it was something about the school," Mikyung whispered to Oliver, who pursed his lips.

"Oh? Is something going on? Did that McGonagall lady send you an interesting letter?"

There was another moment of silence before Evelyn blurted out in one go,

"Iacceptedtheinvitation!"

"Gesundheit?"

"Evelyn, speak slower, I couldn't understand you."

Evelyn took a deep breath, attempting to calm her rapidly beating heart.

"I said...That...Please don't be mad...I accepted the invitation to go to Hogwarts."

Silence.

"You accepted?" Oliver whispered, his eyes wide with a mix of emotions, "and you didn't tell us?"

"I'm sorry," Evelyn whispered, frowning, "I...believe it is the right place for me...and I didn't want to worry you more than necessary…"

"Evelyn…" Mikyung said in a soft voice, a tiny smile etched on her face, "we are...so proud of you. Both your father and I…We just want you to do what you think is best."

"Mikyung…"

"No, Oliver. This is her decision to make. Not ours."

Evelyn felt a huge surge of happiness flow throughout your body.

"Thank you for understanding," she said, a smile finally cracking on her lips, "I promise I'll make you proud. I'll get the best grades and do amazing things. I'll play quidditch for my house, well, next year, since I'm not old enough… I'll be an even better person than I am now. I will-"

 _Ding dong!_

Everyone fell silent.

"That must be Professor McGonagall," Evelyn said, the excitement evident in her voice, "I'll get the door!"

Evelyn ran downstairs, and within seconds, a very familiar elderly lady was standing in the doorway, a small smile adorning her lips. Her cloak was deep green today.

"Good morning, Miss Reid."

"Good morning, Professor McGonagall."

Minerva stepped into the family's house and shut the door.

"We will be ready to leave within a few minutes. Are you ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be!" Evelyn replied with a grin. Minerva smiled as well.

"Evelyn, who did- oh. Ms. McGonagall. It's good to see you again. What brings you here today?"

Minerva's eyebrows furrowed as her eyes darted from Oliver to Evelyn to Mikyung and back to Evelyn.

"Surely Miss Reid informed you of our plans for today?"

Silence.

"I...was going to."

Minerva sighed but did not seem angry.

"Miss Reid and I are going to be spending the day buying her necessary items for her first year at Hogwarts. She will certainly be back for supper. We really must go now."

"Bye, mom. Dad," Evelyn said to her parents, who were still standing in the doorway in shock.

The pair took a train to London, which was where Diagon Alley was located.

"So, Professor McGonagall… What's going to be our plan for the day?" Evelyn asked curiously as she cracked her knuckles, making the professor raise an eyebrow.

"Well, the first stop will be to Gringotts Bank. It is the most well protected bank in all of Europe, perhaps the world. It's run by goblins, and-" she leaned in closer, as not to raise suspicion with the Muggles, "trust me when I say: you do _not_ want to mess with the goblins."

Evelyn's eyes widened and she nodded quickly.

No one spoke for the duration of the train ride. Once they arrived at their destination, Minerva and Evelyn walked briskly to a rather old, worn looking building.

"This is the Leaky Cauldron," Minerva explained, smiling slightly, "a rather popular pub in London for witches and wizards alike."

As they stood in front of it, Evelyn couldn't help but notice that everyone else seemed to walk by it without a glance at the pair.

"Muggles can't see the building," Minerva said quietly as she opened the door the Evelyn, "charmed, so that they don't see, hear, or sense anything coming from it."

Evelyn was only half listening- she was more focused on the inside of the pub. There were many people, chattering, drinking, and eating drinks and foods she had never even seen before.

"P-Professor," Evelyn said as she watched a rather rowdy group, "d-did that drink just explode?"

"Why, they must be drinking exploding lemonade," Minerva replied, laughing to herself, "foolish, they are. That drink caused many accidents back in the day..."

Evelyn took a deep breath. _Calm down, calm down, I know it's all so new…_

The pair didn't dwell too long, however. Minerva led Evelyn to the the back of the pub, where she opened a door. There, they were faced with a brick wall.

"Now, Evelyn, watch carefully," Minerva said, extracting her wand from her cloak, "to get to Diagon Alley, one must tap the wall in the exact order. From this trash can here- three up, and two across. Watch me."

Evelyn watched closely as Minerva tapped her wand against each brick, slowly and precisely. After a few seconds' delay, the wall began to move and rearrange itself.

"Wow!" Evelyn exclaimed, eyes widening.

Seconds later, the wall had completely disappeared, and in front of them was the entrance to Diagon Alley.

"Incredible," Evelyn mumbled to herself, eyes wider than they had ever been before.

There were many different shops, selling things from robes to quidditch gear, to potions ingredients to magical pets. There were restaurants, bars, and cafes in between, and on seemingly every corner, there were stalls and peddlers attempting to sell their goods.

 _"Dragon liver, seventeen Sickles an ounce, they're mad!"_

"Come, come," Minerva called back in a soft command, "I know this is incredibly exciting for you, but we could be in line at Gringotts for a while."

Evelyn followed, though somewhat reluctantly. Every which way she turned, something new popped up, and her heart grew fonder. After a few minutes of walking, the two arrived at a rather large white marble building. Engraved in the marble above the entrance was _Gringotts Bank._

"This is beautiful," Evelyn whispered to herself as the two walked in.

The inside was even more beautiful- the architecture was elegant and classic. The floors were smooth and polished, and a massive chandelier hung from the ceiling. Men and women stood in lines, waiting to be served. And, wearing red and gold robes, sitting high up behind the counter, were what must have been goblins. They were rather mean looking, did not smile, and had dangerously black eyes. Minerva must have sensed Evelyn's slight fear, as she put her hand on the latter's shoulder.

The two stood in line for nearly 10 minutes before it was finally their turn to speak with the goblin.

"We are here to take money out of Miss Evelyn Reid's safe," Minerva said in a calm voice.

"Does Miss Reid have a key to said safe?" the goblin replied in a toneless voice, eyes fixating on Evelyn. She pursed her lips as Minerva fished a small golden key out of her cloak. She handed it to the goblin, who examined the key for a few moments before nodding.

"Very well," he said, "I shall have someone escort you to your vault. Griphook!"

Griphook was another goblin who, after glancing at the pair, motioned for them to follow him. They did so, and Evelyn was shocked when she walked through another sets of doors. Rather than white marble, the hallway was dimly lit and made entirely of stone lit by just a few torches. They arrived at a set of metal rail tracks, with minecarts racing back and forth in the background. Griphook hailed one of these minecarts, and within seconds, the two were climbing inside.

"I do hope you're not afraid of heights," Minerva said, a worried glint in her eyes, "or speed."

Evelyn didn't reply- heights and fast speeds didn't really phase her.

"Alright then, off we go," Griphook said, and a second later, the trio were racing down deeper into the cave, the air blowing on their faces mercilessly. Thankfully, the ride didn't last long. The minecart quickly stopped in front of a rather large vault with elaborate carvings into the door. Evelyn glanced at the stone above the large circular door.

"Vault 656," Griphook stated, "lamp, please."

Minerva passed the lamp to the goblin, who took it and placed it onto the ground in front of the vault.

"Now the key, please."

Minerva passed that to him as well. Griphook pushed the key hole cover aside and unlocked the vault. Evelyn could hear the mechanism in the door working, and within seconds, the door opened. She blinked twice, thrice, before taking a breath. There were heaps of gold Galleons as tall as her, at least three of them. Stacks of silver Sickles lay in the middle, and piles of bronze Knuts lay scattered around the vault itself.

"How…" Evelyn whispered, too shocked to even move.

"Seongsu Oh, your biological father, was quite a successful member of the Korean Ministry of Magic," Minerva explained as she carefully exited the cart, "sadly, that is all I can say about him…"

Evelyn pursed her lips but didn't say anything else. Griphook handed her a rather large twill bag, motioning for her to grab some coins.

"A couple handfuls of Galleons, Sickles, and Knuts should hold you over for a couple terms," Minerva said. Even she seemed a bit shocked at Evelyn's small fortune.

Evelyn did as she was told, and five minutes later or so, the pair were walking out of Gringotts with slightly plumper purses.

"What should I buy first?" Evelyn asked as she pulled out the supply list that came with her initial acceptance letter.

"I suggest purchasing your robes first," Minerva replied, "if you do that, then I will grab a few other things for you in the meantime. Will you be okay? Madame Malkin's is just around the corner there."

Evelyn nodded. "I'll be okay."

Minerva nodded, and the two split up. With slightly wobbly legs, Evelyn made her way to Madame Malkin's Robes For Every Occasion. When she entered the shop, a little bell rang. There were multiple other students in the shop, all in various stages of robe shopping. Some were waiting, others were being measured, and a handful were handing over the money for their clothing.

"Welcome!" a cheery voice said suddenly, making Evelyn jump. She turned and saw a slightly plump smiling lady.

"Hello," Evelyn replied in a small voice.

"I'm Madame Malkin! First year at Hogwarts, dear?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Lovely! If you could just wait a few minutes while I finish a few other students before you. What's your name?"

"Evelyn Reid."

"Alright, then, Miss Reid. I'll be with you in just a couple minutes."

Nodding, Evelyn made her way to a row of chairs where a few other students were sitting.

"Hello," a friendly girl's voice said. Evelyn turned to face a pretty black girl.

"Hi," Evelyn replied quietly, smiling softly.

"First year at Hogwarts too?" she asked, nervousness evident in her voice. Evelyn nodded.

"Yeah."

"Cool! My name is Angelina Johnson."

"I'm Evelyn Reid."

"Nice to meet you, Evelyn! I came here with a couple of my wizarding friends. I'm a half blood, you see. But my older sister is at Hogwarts, and I got to meet her friends and their family. They invited me to come shopping with them."

"That's so nice," Evelyn replied, grinning, "I am here with a Hogwarts professor. I... was told I'm a half-blood too, but...I grew up with Muggles. My biological dad was a wizard, apparently, but the only father I knew was a Muggle."

"Ah," Angelina replied, nodding, "well, that's okay. Hogwarts welcomes everyone! Just-" she lowered her voice and leaned in, "-watch out for Slytherins. Heard they're real nasty to anyone who looks like they associate with Muggles. Just ignore them, really."

Evelyn nodded, pursing her lips. Before she could dwell on the subject any further, Madame Malkin called out, "Angelina Johnson!"

"Well, there's my name" Angelina chuckled, standing up, "I'll see you around, okay? Find me on the train on the 1st, we can sit together!"

"Will do," Evelyn replied, smiling brightly.

 _Wow, I just made my first wizarding friend!_

She sat in silence for a little while longer, flipping a Galleon in-between her fingers, before finally, Madame Malkin called out, "Evelyn Reid!"

Heart pounding, Evelyn quickly stood and walked briskly over to the smiling lady.

"Alright, dearie, I'm going to measure around your head first, and then move to body measurements. This should only take around 10 minutes total."

Evelyn nodded, and seconds later, multiple enchanted measuring tapes began to wrap themselves around multiple parts of her body. The sensation was slightly ticklish, and just a few moments later, Madame Malkin had collected her measurements.

"Let's see, dearie… Goodness me, you are tiny… 21 in head circumference, 12 in neck circumference… 30 in bust, 21 in waist, twenty-… Let me see what I can find for you."

Madame Malkin disappeared into a separate room for a few minutes before finally returning with a large bag of robes.

"This is the smallest size I carry for female students," she explained, handing Evelyn the bag, "hopefully you'll put on a little weight once you're at school. I heard those feasts are quite delectable!"

With one last smile and exchanging of coins, Madame Malkin walked towards the front and called another name out.

 _"Roger Davies!"_

Evelyn smiled to herself as she excited the robe shop. She wasn't surprised that she was the smallest size- she usually was. And, yes, what Madame Malkin said was right-she did hope she grew into her clothing and gained a bit of weight during her time at school. Perhaps grow vertically a bit, too. She waited outside of the shop until Minerva returned from her errands not too long after.

"Did you buy your robes, Miss Reid?"

"Yes, ma'am," Evelyn replied, smiling brightly, "my first purchase in the magical world!"

Minerva smiled. From there, the two continued their shopping escapade around Diagon Alley. They purchased quills and parchment at Amanuensis Quills (Minerva had to talk Evelyn out of buying color-changing rainbow ink). They spent a good deal of time at the bookstore, Flourish and Blotts (even Minerva bought a new book for herself). They bought the best pewter cauldron at Potage's Cauldron Shop, and a couple other shops for the remaining items on the list. Towards the end of their trip, the pair visited Eeylops Owl Emporium, where, after much deliberation and a few broken hearts, they excited with Evelyn's newest pet- a young screech owl whom she named Felix.

"The last stop you have to make today is for your wand," Minerva said, glancing down at Evelyn with a kind look in her eye, "the most exciting stop, by far."

Evelyn nodded in excitement as the pair made their way to the shop, which was called Ollivander's.

They arrived at the shop within five minutes, and slowly, they made their way into the shop.

"Good afternoon, Garrick," Minerva said in a patient voice, a small smile adorning her lips, "long time, no see?"

"Hello, hello, Minerva!" this _Garrick_ replied, a bright smile quickly forming on his rather old face, "it's lovely to see you again!"

"Likewise," Minerva replied, "however, I am here on Hogwarts business. I have a first year student in need of her first wand."

"Ah, of course," the man replied, turning towards Evelyn, "I am Garrick Ollivander, and I make and sell wands here in Diagon Alley!"

"He's the best in the world," Minerva added, "very fine wands, he creates."

"True, true," Ollivander replied, nodding as he pawed through the hundreds of wands he had piled on dozens of shelves.

"Ah," he said moments later, pulling a fox out of the pile, "let's try this one, hm? Ash, 11 inches, dragon heartstring, rather pliable…"

With shaking hands, Evelyn carefully took the wand in her hand. It was rather smooth and felt heavy in her hands, despite being, well, a glorified stick.

"Well, give it a wave," Ollivander said with eager eyes.

Taking a deep breath, Evelyn gave the wand a random flick, and immediately, a vase holding rather lovely flowers exploded. Gasping, Evelyn quickly placed the wand back onto the counter.

"Ah… Definitely not the best choice. No worries-" Ollivander hurried to the opposite end of the store and quickly brought back another option.

"Perhaps this will work better. Yew, 13 inches, unicorn hair, a rather attractive piece…"

As before, Evelyn held the wand and flicked it once. However, nothing even happened. Was that a good sign? A bad one?

"Hm… Not that one either… Tricky, tricky…" Ollivander mumbled to himself as he walked further into the back of his shop.

"Professor," Evelyn said quietly, making Minerva turn to her, "what kind of wand do you have?"

"Mine? It is fir wod, 9.5 inches with a dragon heartstring core. Quite suited for transfiguration and those who are strong-minded and focused."

 _Sounds about right!_

"A powerful wand, Minerva has," Ollivander said suddenly, "rather impressed that her wand chose her at a mere 11 years old years ago. I could tell she would turn into someone great."

Minerva smiled but said nothing in reply. Ollivander carefully unboxed the third wand for Evelyn to try.

"A rather rare combination, this one," he said, handling the wand as if it were glass, "alder wood, 10 inches, with a phoenix feather core. Give it a go…"

Evelyn carefully held the wand, and in an instant, she felt a warm sensation flow throughout her body. She gave the wand a quick flick, and the hat that Ollivander was wearing gracefully flew around the room until landing gently back onto the owner's head. Rather than be upset, Ollivander clapped his hands together.

"Well, well," he said, smiling broadly, "looks as though this particular wand chose you!"

"Chose me?" Evelyn replied, tilting her head to the side.

"The wand chooses the wizard, Miss Reid," Ollivander explained in a soft voice, "we

don't truly understand why… But they do, and your wand will be yours for life. Some wands are more loyal than others. Some wands are more powerful, other are more consistent. Your wand in particular, Miss Reid, is suited for someone considerate, helpful, and overall likeable. Your wand will be quite loyal to you, and with the addition of the phoenix feather… You will do great things in your life, Miss Reid."

Ollivander smiled a mysterious smile. After that, Evelyn paid for her wand, and minutes later, she and Minerva were back in Diagon Alley.

"Congratulations on your new wand," Minerva said, smiling at Evelyn, "Ollivander was right. You will definitely do great things in your life."

"He seemed a little mad," Evelyn replied, "but very knowledgable."

"Right you are," Minerva replied quietly, "he's been making wands for decades. At least since I was a child."

Evelyn nodded but did not reply. The two decided to get a scoop of ice cream at Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor before heading back. Minerva opted for chocolate with nuts, while Evelyn decided on lemon with raspberry drizzle. As they ate, the two discussed the schedule for September 1st.

"You will have to be at the Hogwarts Express at 11am sharp," Minerva explained, "to get there, you will have to go through Platform 9¾ at King's Cross Station in London."

"Nine and three-quarters?" Evelyn repeated dumbly.

"Yes, Miss Reid. The column between station 9 and 10 is only accessible by the wizarding community. To enter, you must run into that column with no hesitation. If done properly, you should run right through and end up on a new platform with the Hogwarts Express."

"Wow.."

The two finally arrived back at Evelyn's home- not without many stares from Muggles as they carried Felix's cage.

"Mom! Dad! We're back!" Evelyn called as the pair walked into the house. Minerva closed the door and helped Evelyn set her new supplies down.

Mikyung and Oliver ran down the stairs to meet them.

"How was it?" Mikyung asked quietly, eyeing her daughter's heap of new items curiously.

"Incredible!" Evelyn replied, "we got everything I needed! It was such an amazing place. Shops and restaurants everywhere, unbelievable items everywhere, their own bank…"

Evelyn could hardly contain her excitement as she rambled on about her day.

"-and finally, we got back here."

Mikyung was smiling brightly for her daugher. Oliver had a slightly pained smile on his face as Minerva began to speak.

"I have discussed the the schedule for September 1st to Miss Reid already. All you have to do is drive her to King's Cross Station in London. She knows what to do after that. Also…" Minerva's voice turned more serious.

"It is imperative that you do not speak of your daughter's whereabouts, status, or related issues. The magical community, though very large, is also very secretive. Muggles unrelated to a magical individual do not know we exist, and there is a reason for that. So, please. Do not mention anything about Miss Reid being a witch. If someone asks where she is, tell he she transferred schools. She won't be gone forever. That goes for you too, Miss Reid," Minerva turned to Evelyn, "as you are underage, and will be until you turn 17, performing magic outside of Hogwarts or any magical community is strictly forbidden and punishable by warning, expulsion, and even wand breakage. Over breaks, you may study, correspond via owl, and other such activities. However, there is to be no wand-waving whatsoever. Understood?"

"Yes, ma'am," Evelyn replied in a small voice, nodding quickly.

"Good," Minerva said, tone lightening slightly, "I guess I should be off, then. Miss Reid, it was a pleasure to spend the day with you. I will be seeing you on September 1st. Best of luck to you."

With that final statement, Minerva turned on her heel and exited the Reid household.


	4. III: The Hogwarts Express

Evelyn couldn't sleep the next two nights.

The excitement was overwhelming. To satiate her burning desire to learn magic, she quickly began to read her required textbook- namely, _A History of Magic_ , in which she learned countless things- witch hunts, goblin rebellions, a number of wars, and all kinds of famous witches and wizards, like Uric the Oddball, Gellert Grindelwald, and Rowena Ravenclaw…

When the time came for the family of three to leave for London (they had to wake up at 2am for the long drive), Evelyn felt as though she would be sick. Not because she was dreading it, but because she couldn't handle the excitement, curiosity, and nervousness.

"You look green," Oliver noted as he helped his daughter roll her trunk to their car.

"I feel like my stomach is tied in hundreds of knots," Evelyn replied, making a face. Oliver chuckled.

"You're beginning a new adventure," he replied in a soft voice, lifting the heavy trunk into the car, "a new life, really. It's okay to be nervous." He sent Evelyn a warm smile, and Evelyn sighed in relief.

"You're right…"

"As always."

Evelyn rolled her eyes but smiled nonetheless. She carefully placed Felix's cage in the backseat next to her own, her school bag with her uniform and essentials sitting on the ground.

"Do we have everything?" Mikyung asked, eyes darting from Evelyn to Oliver and back.

"I believe so," Oliver replied, looking to Evelyn for confirmation. She evaluated all of the items in the car, and after a few moments, looked back up to her parents and nodded brightly.

"Yes."

"Excellent."

The sky was still very dark. The moon shone brightly above them, and hundreds of little stars twinkled. The sky was clear, the weather was pleasant, and Evelyn felt a sense of happiness wash over her.

"Alright, everyone, into the car. This will be a long drive, so get some sleep while you can," Oliver said as he sat down into the driver's seat. Mikyung, with a blanket wrapped around her shoulders, slid into the passenger seat. Evelyn quickly sat in the back seat behind her mother.

"Get some rest," she whispered to Felix, who looked at her curiously, "it's going to be a long drive. You'll be able to spread your wings once you're at Hogwarts, I promise."

Felix seemed to understand what she said, as he hooted softly and promptly closed his eyes. Evelyn smiled lovingly at him.

Evelyn must have fallen asleep rather quickly, because when she woke up, the family were already in the outskirts of London.

"Good morning," Mikyung said from behind the steering wheel. She and Oliver must have switched drivers sometime in the middle of the night.

"Morning," Evelyn replied, her throat rather scratchy.

"Shouldn't be too much longer until we reach King's Cross Station," Oliver said in a chipper voice, looking out the window, "lovely weather, too. It's a good day."

"It is."

The ride continued for another half an hour before the family of three reached the parking lot to King's Cross Station. They gathered Evelyn's items, and minutes later, headed into the station towards platform 9.

"Would you like anything to eat before you board the train? There are some restaurants near," Mikyung asked, looking at her daughter.

"No, thanks," Evelyn replied, shaking her head, "I might throw up if I eat something…"

The family continued on their way until they reached the area between platforms 9 and 10.

"Uh," Oliver said, looking around, "what's your platform, again?"

"9¾," Evelyn replied, looking around. There weren't too many people around.

"I don't see it… Is that a joke or something?"

"No… It's real… Professor McGonagall said something about running through the column between 9 and 10 and-"

"Hello there," an unfamiliar voice said suddenly, making the Reid family jump. They turned to see a rather large family of redheads behind them, more than half of them all rolling trunks, bags, and cages _with owls_.

"Hogwarts too, dear?" presumably the mother of the children asked, a kind smile on her face. Evelyn nodded once, too shocked to say anything.

"And you are her parents?" she asked to Mikyung and Oliver, who also simply nodded.

"I'm Molly Weasley," she said gently, "my husband Arthur-" a tall redheaded man waved, "and these are my mostly lovely children." Molly's voice was lighthearted.

"I-I'm Evelyn," Evelyn said quietly, "I'll b-be in my first year."

"So are we!" two separate but identical voices said in unison. Two red-haired twins walked up to her, both smiling.

"I'm Fred," one said.

"No I'm Fred!" the other replied.

"No, you're George. _I'm_ Fred."

"Alright, got me there. George Weasley at your service!"

The two twins bowed deeply, though the act seemed like a joke.

"Pleasure…" Evelyn replied, smiling slightly.

"Alright, boys, we can all get to know each other on the train, but we have to get there first. Come on, now, line up. Evelyn, you and your parents can go first."

"Parents? But we aren't magical," Oliver replied, furrowing his eyebrows.

"Muggles who are a witch's or wizard's parents are allowed through the platform to see them off to school," Arthur explained. Oliver nodded.

"Just head the barrier between nine and ten. Don't hesitate though, or you'll crash right into it. I suggest you run if you're nervous," Molly chimed in.

Nodding, Evelyn steered her trolley so that it faced the barrier and took a deep breath.

 _Just breathe. Run. Do as Molly and Minerva said._

Without taking time to worry more, she took of in a run, expecting a crash moments later. Her eyes closed and prepared for impact. However, the impact never came. She stopped running, opened an eye, and gasped. A majestic scarlet steam engine labeled _The Hogwarts Express_ stood before her, proud and beautiful.

"Amazing," she whispered to herself. She looked around and saw hundreds of other students and adults with trolleys, owl cages on top, wands out, laughing… It was quite the site. She noticed a sign on the barrier that she ran through- it now said _Platform 9¾_. Moments later, the Weasley siblings made their way through the barrier as well- they obviously had done this before. Finally, Molly, Arthur, Oliver, and Mikyung had run through the barrier as well, albeit with no trolley.

"Goodness me!" Oliver cried as his eyes laid upon the The Hogwarts Express.

"Oh, wow…" Mikyung added, her eyes going large.

"Beautiful, isn't she?" Molly said, a rather affectionate tone in her voice, "I remember when I first boarded the train when I was 11…"

"You're a witch too?" Mikyung asked curiously. Molly nodded.

"So is my husband. We both attended Hogwarts many years ago."

"Incredible," Oliver mumbled.

"I am assuming you both are Muggles?" Arthur asked, a rather excited tone in his voice.

"Yes, but Evelyn's biological father was a wizard, apparently…" Mikyung replied in a rather quiet voice, a frown breaking her previous smile. Molly grimaced and patted her shoulder.

"Oh, wow, I would love to have a chat with you two sometime!" Arthur exclaimed, a wide grin on his face, "I work at the Ministry of Magic for the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Office of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts. I would love-"

"Arthur, dear, we can talk to Evelyn's parents in a moment. We need to get everyone on the train, however, before it leaves. It's almost 11!" Molly exclaimed. Arthur nodded.

So, after giving their trunks to workers on the Hogwarts Express, it was finally time for the group of 6 to board the train. There were two other Weasley siblings present who were not boarding. They must have been younger than 11.

"I'll write to you guys as much as I can," Evelyn said to her parents after she gave them both big hugs, "Felix is very intelligent and very kind. He loves to fly, too."

"We can't wait," Mikyung replied lovingly.

"Please… do not get into too much trouble. Or hurt. Or killed. Or hexed, cursed, or whatever happens… I'll always be thinking of you," Oliver said, his tone worried and soft.

"I love you both," Evelyn said, giving her parents one last hug each, "I'll be back at Christmas!"

"We can't wait!" Mikyung said, watching as her daughter slowly backed away from them, ready to board the scarlet locomotive.

"Stay safe! Learn lots!" Mikyung called as Evelyn gave her parents one last wave before boarding the train itself.

Many of the compartments on the train were already full of students- laughing, smiling, joking… She managed to find an empty compartment near where her parents and the Weasley parents stood. She hung Felix's cage from a hook provided, set her personal bag down, and then opened the window of the train.

"Mum! Dad!" she called, making Oliver and Mikyung turn. They both smiled broadly when they saw their daughter. Even Molly and Arthur grinned.

"Have a great term!" Oliver called, "we expect all A's-"

"O's, dad! Different grading scale!" Evelyn yelled.

"Okay, just get good grades!"

"Enjoy!"

Evelyn smiled, closed the window, and sat down in her seat, attempting to calm her rapidly racing mind and beating heart. The quiet environment didn't last long, however. A minute or so later, a few familiar faces stuck their heads into the compartment.

"Hey there! You're Evelyn, right?"

It was Angelina Johnson, the girl she met in Madame Malkin's a couple days ago. Evelyn smiled broadly.

"Yeah! And you're Angelina!"

"Indeed! Mind if we take a seat with you?"

"Yeah, sure!"

Evelyn scooted to the window seat, allowing Angelina to enter. Following behind her were the twins, Fred and George Weasley.

"Long time no see," Fred and George said in unison, smiling at Evelyn, who smiled back.

"Yeah…"

Angelina closed the compartment door, and everyone got comfortable. George (or was it Fred?) sat next to Evelyn, and Angelina sat next to Fred (or was it George?).

"So," Angelina said, looking at Evelyn, "excited for your first year?"

"Of course!" Evelyn replied, "we could hardly believe it when Professor McGonagall came around to tell me."

"My dad's a wizard," Angelina explained, "so I'd been waiting for my acceptance letter to Hogwarts for a while. The wait was dreadful, especially this past year."

Everyone in the compartment laughed.

"Since both our parents are wizards, and we have a whole army of a family, we just had to wait on everyone before it was our turn," Fred explained, "Bill's here for his last year. He's head boy, mum's so proud…"

"Then there's Charlie," George continued, "he's a 6th year. No special ranks for him, but he's more of a _go with the flow_ kinda guy, you know?"

"Percy's in his third year. Percy's...well, Percy," Fred commented.

"And then there's Ron, who's our younger brother," George said, "two year younger. He's been itching to get to Hogwarts for some time now, ever since Bill began."

"And then our baby sister, Ginny," Fred finished, "three years younger than us, she is always so upset when one of her brothers leaves for school…"

"She's the only girl in the family?" Evelyn asked, eyes wide.

"Well, besides Mum, then yeah," George replied, grinning wickedly.

"Poor girl," Angelina muttered under her breath, making Evelyn laugh out loud.

Soon, the Hogwarts Express' whistles began to blow- that must have been a sign that it was time to leave. Evelyn ran to the window and saw her parents still talking with the Weasleys. She quickly opened the window, stuck out her head, and yelled, "bye Mum and Dad!"

Oliver and Mikyung turned and smiled broadly when they say Evelyn, along with Fred, George, and Angelina, who had somehow stuck their heads out too.

"Bye Mum! Say hello to Ginny and Ronnie for us!"

"Be good!" she called back.

"See you for Christmas!" Arthur added.

Minutes later, the train left the station, and soon, King's Cross Station was nothing more than a black dot in the distance. Angelina began to speak to Fred individually, discussing the wizard game Quidditch.

"So, Evelyn," George said gently. Evelyn turned to face him.

"Yes?"

"Where are you from?"

Evelyn furrowed her eyebrows slightly. "Where am I from?"

"Yeah, like... where is your family from?" George seemed very curious.

"Ah…I was born in Korea, then moved to Scotland when I was around four or so."

"Oh, Korea? Do you know anything about witches and wizards in Korea?" George asked. Evelyn shook her head.

"Sadly no," she said quietly, "my biological dad was a wizard there, apparently a high ranking member of the Ministry of Magic. I never knew him though. Mum said that one night, when I was just a baby, he, well...vanished. Never came back."

George frowned and placed his arm around Evelyn's shoulder, making her tense up a little.

"Sorry that happened," he said, sounding genuine. Evelyn shrugged.

"It's fine, I guess," she replied, "my step-dad, technically...he's great. His name's Oliver, and he is a wonderful person. He was reluctant about Hogwarts and magic for a while, but he ended up coming around and accepting the fact. He's very supportive."

"Well, that's great," George stated. Evelyn nodded.

The group chatted for a while longer before they heard a voice saying, "anything from the trolley?" Moments later, a kind looking woman pushing a cart stopped by their compartment and repeated, "anything from the trolley, dearies?"

Fred and George looked at each other for a moment before Fred said, "just two liquorice wands, please."

While the trolley lady fished their request out, Fred pulled out the coins from his pocket- six Sickles and a couple Knuts.

"Six Sickles please, dear," the trolley lady said.

Fred loud out an almost inaudible sigh before handing over nearly all his money. Regardless, he smiled broadly and handed one of the wands to George, who accepted it graciously. Angelina said she wasn't hungry, but Evelyn took a look at everything. There were dozens of types of candies, treats, and cakes- so many, that she nearly couldn't chose. So, she decided to just buy a couple of each.

"A couple of each item, please," she asked politely.

Fred and George's jaws visibly dropped. Evelyn's face reddened slightly. She was obviously much wealthier than the Weasley family, and felt slightly guilty for unintentionally flaunting her money around.

"6 Galleons, 10 Sickles, and 4 Knuts please, dear."

Evelyn nodded, but as she was fishing her coins out of her purse, she lost her grip, and the purse fell to the ground, causing coins to go everywhere.

"Oh, rats," Evelyn grumbled to herself, dropping to the ground to pick up the coins as quickly as possible.

"Let me help," George said, quickly dropping to his own knees. Fred and Angelina followed suit, and within seconds, all of the coins were recovered. She quickly counted out the total amount, handed it to the trolley lady, and accepted her dozens of treats in return. Once the lady was gone, Angelina shut the compartment door again.

"Um… Help yourself, all of you, take anything," Evelyn said after a moment of semi-awkward silence. Almost immediately did Fred take a _pumpkin pasty_ , blushing slightly while doing so.

"Thank you, Evelyn," he said to her, smiling shyly before tearing open the packaging.

"Angelina?" Evelyn asked. The latter shook her head.

"No thanks, but thank you for offering!"

She turned to George. "George?"

"Ah," he said in an unusually small voice, "a-are you sure?"

"Positive," Evelyn replied kindly, smiling warmly. George nodded and grabbed a _Chocolate Frog_ box.

Evelyn, on the other hand, opted for a box of _Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Bean_.

"Careful there, Evelyn," Fred warned, "when they say every flavor, they mean _every_ flavor. I once got a vomit flavored bean, nearly threw up in reality…" He visibly shuddered before taking a bite from his liquorice wand. Evelyn kept that in mind, and after some deliberation, decided on a brown bean.

"Why do I have a feeling that this will absolutely _not_ be chocolate?" she asked out loud, making everyone in the laugh.

"Well, go on," Fred egged her on, grinning. Taking a deep breath, Evelyn took a small bite of the bean, chewed for a moment before making a disgusted face.

"Nope," she grumbled, "not chocolate. But not awful…"

"Mind if I try?" George asked, holding out his hand.

"Go for it," Evelyn replied, handing him the remaining half of the bean. He threw it into his mouth, and moments later, sighed.

"I have fallen victim to this flavor multiple times," he said, "this one is dirt. You got lucky, though-" he turned to Evelyn, "-it could have been sardine."

Evelyn fake hacked.

The group had a lot of fun trying more flavors of beans. Evelyn also tried many more sweets. Nearly all of them were delicious, but around 20 minutes later, she sighed.

"I can't eat another bean," she said, slouching in her seat slightly, "I am so full. You're gonna have to roll me to Hogwarts."

Everyone laughed out loud. However, their funny moment was cut short by someone suddenly opening the compartment door. A taller, slightly older boy with less violently red hair stood in the doorway, his Hogwarts uniform already on.

"You all should start putting your uniforms on," the boy said, "we will be arriving relatively soon. By the way, I'm Percy Weasley, Fred and George's older brother. I've met you, Angelina, nice to see you-"

"-Likewise."

"-and I saw you speaking with Mother and Father on the platform. What's your name?" he asked Evelyn.

"I'm Evelyn Reid," she replied.

"Pleasure," Percy said, a small smile adorning his face as the two shook hands, "anyway, as I said. Get dressed. I'll see you guys in the Great Hall. Good luck with sorting, guys. Hope to see you all in Gryffindor."

With those final words, Percy turned around, shut their compartment door, and walked away.

"Alright, well, you heard Percy," Angelina said, standing up and grabbing her bag, "we've got to change. Fred, George, get outta here."

"Why do we have to go?" Fred whined.

"Because we're girls," Angelina replied in a joking voice. The twins moaned nonstop but obliged, leaving the two girls alone to change. They closed the curtain to their compartment so that they had some privacy.

Evelyn actually had not tried on her uniform yet. She was too nervous about messing it up in any way. The two girls had their backs to each other, which helped with Evelyn's shyness. She quickly slipped her shirt off, and put on her white dress shirt. Then, her blazer. She slipped off her casual skirt and slid into her uniform's black pleated skirt. The weather was relatively warm, so she opted for the knee high socks rather than the tights. She tied her black tie around her neck, tucked it into her blazer, and as a final touch, she slipped her black robe over her outfit. She slipped on her shoes, and then asked, "are you done, Angelina?"

"Yeah."

The two turned around to look at each other, and they both smiled.

"You look pretty," Evelyn said.

"You too... Though… Your uniform looks a little big. Did Madame Malkin mess up your measurements or grab the wrong clothes?"

She wasn't wrong. The blazer was slightly baggy, and she had to rely on the second button hole of the skirt for it to stay up.

"This was the smallest size they carried," Evelyn replied quietly. Angelina nodded but didn't reply. Moments later, they heard a rapping at the compartment door.

"Can we come in?" two identical voices asked. The girls laughed, and without answering, pushed the curtains aside and opened the door. Fred and George stood there, nearly a head taller than Evelyn, looking nice in their uniforms. Similar to the girls, style-wise, except they wore pants rather than a skirt.

"You two look lovely," George said, grinning at both Angelina and Evelyn.

"Not too shabby yourselves," Angelina replied in the same semi-joking way.

A few minutes later, a voice on the intercom said: "We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately."

"Well, guys, this is it," Angelina said in a hopeful voice, "the beginning of a new, epic adventure."

Fred, George, and Evelyn smiled in reply.

"Let these be the best seven years of our lives," Evelyn added moments later.

"Let's."


	5. IV: Hogwarts, At Last

The four friends waited excitedly for the train to come to a complete stop. Evelyn did bring her personal bag with her, as the conductor said to leave everything behind. They stood in anticipation for around 2 minutes before the train finally came to a stop. Evelyn's breath hitched, but she hardly had any time to compose herself. Students from every compartment began to run for the exits, particularly the first years. In the chaos of trying to exit the train, Evelyn felt someone grab her hand. She turned and saw one of the twins, who held up Angelina's hand as well.

"To keep together!" he shouted over the loud chatter.

Evelyn nodded. As the four of them managed to get off the train in one piece, they heard a loud, bellowing voice yell, "firs' years! Firs' years over here!" The large group of first years followed the voice, until everyone halted in front of a very large man, at least 8 feet tall, with bushy brown hair, an even more unkempt beard, and a warm smile on his face.

"C'mon now, follow me. Any more firs' years? This way now…"

The large group followed the even larger man down a narrow winding path.

"Yer firs' view o' Hogwarts will be comin' up soon, not to worry," the man said, his voice booming. Evelyn looked at the twins and Angelina, who looked excited.

"All our brothers said the castle is absolutely insane," Fred (?) said quietly.

"Yeah, huge too!" George (?) added.

Just a few moments later, the twins' statements were confirmed. As they group turned the bend, there was one unanimous "ooh" that came from the crowd. Evelyn was among them.

Perched up on a high mountain, was a gigantic castle, with turrets and towers on at least every corner. The hundreds of windows twinkled like stars in the distance, reflecting off a mysterious lake to one side of it. Evelyn's heard began to pound, and she felt like she would cry from happiness.

"Righ' now, no more'n fore to a boat!" the giant man bellowed, motioning towards the fleet of boats by the shore. Evelyn, Angelina, Fred, and George quickly claimed a boat, and once everyone was in, the tall man yelled, "forward!"

Angelina held onto the boat's lantern as the dozens of boats began to sail themselves smoothly across the huge lake. The castle, which was once far in the distance, slowly inched closer and closer to them as they sailed further towards the castle.

"This is incredible," Angelina said to the group, who all nodded.

"Wicked," the twins said in unison.

The group landed on the other side of the lake around 8 minutes later. The group scurried after the tall man, whose name Evelyn learned was Hagrid, and they followed him up a stone path to a large oak door, upon which Hagrid knocked three booming times. Seconds later, Professor McGonagall opened the door, a soft smile on her face.

"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," Hagrid said.

"Thank you, Hagrid, I'll handle them from here," replied Professor McGonagall. Her stern eyes met Evelyn's for just a second, and she swore she could have seen them twinkle…

McGonagall opened the huge oak doors, and almost immediately did everyone gasp. The entrance hall was one of the biggest rooms Evelyn had ever seen- it could have easily fit her family's modest home inside…twice.

"Incredible," Evelyn said to herself.

McGonagall led the first-year group the torch-lit hallways. The ceilings were impossibly high, the stairs were made of a beautiful kind of marble, and the architecture was unique.

As they continued through the magnificent castle, the sound of hundreds of voices became more resonant – the rest of the students must have already arrived. However, rather than join them immediately, McGonagall led them to a smaller empty chamber a little way's away. The group crowded together like sardines in a can – much closer than any of them would have liked. McGonagall stood in front of the large group, a warm smile on her face.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," she said, "the start of year ceremony will begin shortly. However, before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you must be sorted into your houses. The sorting ceremony is extremely important to your time here at Hogwarts, because your house will become something like a family to you during your time here. You will have all your classes with your house, you will sleep in your house's dormitory, and spend your free time in your house dormitory.

The four houses are Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin. Each house has a rich history and have each produced many incredible witches and wizards. Now. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs and successes will earn you points for your house, while any rule breaking will lose you house points. At the end of the school year, the house with the most points will win the house cup, which is a great honor. I hope you take this seriously and do the best you can to earn the most points for your house.

The Sorting Ceremony in front of your classmates will begin shortly. I suggest you prepare yourselves appropriately, as to make little a fool of yourself as you can. I will return when we are ready for you. Wait quietly."

With those final words, McGonagall walked away briskly, disappearing around a corner and out of sight.

"How do we get sorted?" Evelyn whispered to George, whose eyes widened slightly.

"Apparently, it's a test," he replied in a quiet voice, "that's what Bill and Charlie told me, at least."

 _A test?_ Evelyn thought to herself nervously, _I read a couple books, but I haven't practiced any spells at all!_

Sensing Evelyn's nervousness, Angelina grabbed her hand.

"It'll be okay," she said quietly, rolling her eyes at George, "he's joking. It's very formal, really. A third party of sorts votes, my sister wouldn't tell me, though… wanted it to be a surprise."

Evelyn nodded and felt a little better, but that fact didn't manage to calm her rapidly beating heart. She didn't have much time to worry too much, however. Seconds later, a couple students screamed. Evelyn turned and immediately found out why.

Ten to twenty ghosts had just flown through the walls, all chattering cheerfully. They were slightly transparent, pearly gray in color, and though they were dead, seemed ironically very alive.

"Ah, you must be the first years!" one of the ghosts cried cheerfully, a wide smile on his face, "going to the Sorting Ceremony soon?"

A few brave souls dared to nod, but before the ghosts could say any more to the students, Professor McGonagall returned.

"It's time for the ceremony to begin," she said, "please line up and follow me."

After the students managed to form a line, McGonagall led them through another pair of large wooden doors, into the Great Hall. And, mind you, when they say Great Hall, they mean _Great_. The room was large, with four long tables belonging to each house. The older students were already sitting in their seats, gazing curiously at the new students. Thousands of floating candles lit the room, and a ceiling bewitched to look like the night sky shone bright with the star and moonlight. Golden plates and goblets sat in front of each student, and around 25 empty spots were available at each table. Sitting at a single long table in the front of the Great Hall were all of the professors.

McGonagall, once the first-years had lined up in front of her, placed a wooden chair in front of them, and then a rather tattered looking pointed hat. Nothing happened for a few moments. Evelyn looked at Fred and George, who shrugged. However, seconds later, the hat seemed to move, and another moment after that, began to _sing:_

 _"I've done this job for centuries_

 _On every students' head I've sat_

 _Of thoughts I take inventories_

 _For I'm the famous Sorting Hat_

 _I've sorted high, I've sorted low,_

 _I've done the job through thick and thin_

 _So put me on and you will know_

 _Which house you should in._

 _Are you afraid of what you'll hear?_

 _Afraid I'll speak the name you fear?_

 _Not Slytherin! Not Gryffindor!_

 _Not Hufflepuff! Not Ravenclaw!_

 _Don't worry child, I know my job,_

 _You'll learn to laugh, if first you sob."_

Applause erupted in the Great Hall, mainly by the older students and faculty. McGonagall silenced them quickly, and promptly said: "When I call your name, you will sit on the stool and place the hat on your head to be sorted." She unrolled a thick roll of parchment and promptly exclaimed, "Ash, Graham!"

A tiny boy with light brown hair scrambled up to the stool, sat down, and placed the hat on his head. After a few seconds, the hat screamed, "HUFFLEPUFF!"

The table on the far right with students wearing yellow and black ties, erupted in cheers as Graham ran over to them. Next was "Barlow, Aria!", who ended up in Ravenclaw, the house of blue and silver.

The sorting hat continued to call name after name, and each student would be sorted accordingly. Some students took longer than others to receive a house, and others were almost immediate. Evelyn came back to her senses when she heard the name "Johnson, Angelina!" called. Angelina, who was taking deep breaths at that point, slowly walked up to the hat and placed it on her head. After a few seconds, the hat bellowed, "GRYFFINDOR"

The scarlet and gold themed table erupted in cheers as Angelina smiled broadly and ran over to the table second from the right. The list of names continued afterwards, and Evelyn began to feel a bit antsy as the surnames went from Ls to O's to P's… Soon, it would be her turn.

After another 5 excruciating minutes of waiting, McGonagall called out the name, "Reid, Evelyn!", and Evelyn's heart stopped for a beat. With wobbly legs, she made her way up to the stool, and the last thing she saw were the twins giving her the thumbs up before the hat was placed on her head.

"Hmm," a voice whispered in her ear, "interesting, very interesting. Talent, intelligence, creativity, very suitable for a Ravenclaw… But… What's this… Heaps of bravery and nerve are buried deep within you, very much like a Gryffindor…"

 _"I'm not all that brave,"_ Evelyn thought, hoping the hat would hear her. It did.

"Is that so?" the hat whispered, "because I can see flames of great courage within you, just waiting to be ignited. There is a lot of potential for that courage…"

The sorting hat deliberated for another couple of minutes, it seemed. The choice seemed to waver between Ravenclaw and Gryffindor, and to be honest, Evelyn would be okay with either. Eventually, however, the hat whispered, "I have finally made up my mind. The Sorting hat never lies."

It then cleared its throat (figuratively, of course) and bellowed, "GRYFFINDOR!"

The Gryffindor table erupted into the loudest cheer yet as Evelyn sighed in relief and ran over to sit next to Angelina. A couple of older students reached out to shake her hand with smiles, welcoming her into their new family.

Evelyn was elated. So much so, that she let her mind wander a bit until she heard the name "Weasley, Fred!" called. Her ears perked up and she watched as Fred ran up to put on the hat. Almost immediately did the hat call "GRYFFINDOR!". Evelyn cheered along with the rest of her new house as Fred ran over and took a seat across from Angelina. His brothers, Charlie, Bill, and Percy, all congratulated him with proud smiles on their faces. Next was undoubtedly "Weasley, George!", who was sorted into "GRYFFINDOR" almost quicker than Fred was. The Gryffindors cheered again, and George ran over to take a seat next to Evelyn, while accepting handshakes and congratulations from his brothers.

It wasn't much longer before the final girl, Destiny Yates, was sorted into Slytherin.

After a few words of caution from Headmaster Albus Dumbledore (apparently, the Forbidden Forest was off-limits), he clapped his hands loudly, and instantly, the goblets filled themselves and the plates on the table filled with an incredible selection of food: roast beef, roast chicken, grilled fish, potatoes of all varieties, steamed vegetables, fruit salads, dozens of types of breads, rice, puddings, chips, sauces…Evelyn could hardly believe her eyes. The full stomach she once complained about before was now empty, and she piled her plate high with rice, fish, chicken, vegetables, and fruit. It looked delectable.

"What's the drink in the goblet?" Evelyn asked George, whose mouth was full of roast beef.

"Pmpkn jse," he replied with his full mouth, making Evelyn grimace.

"Mind your manners," Percy scolded, gently hitting George's arm. He then turned to Evelyn and said gently, "it's pumpkin juice, Evelyn, a very delicious drink. Give it a sip!"

Evelyn nodded and raised the goblet to her lips. Immediately did a delicious flavor touch her tongue – the sweet pumpkin flavor was evident but not too overpowering.

"It's delicious!" she exclaimed, and Percy grinned. "Told you!"

Everyone around her chuckled.

The feast continued for quite a while until the now empty plates on the table were suddenly replaced with plates of deserts of all kinds – all flavors of ice cream, pies, cakes, tarts, doughnuts, sugared fruits, chocolate delights, candies… Evelyn reached for some sugared strawberries and lemon sherbet as she started chattering with her house-mates.

"I heard that transfiguration is the hardest class here," one boy said, eyes wide, "my brother nearly killed his mouse when he tried to turn it into a boot…"

"You just have to know what you're doing," Percy said pompously, "and you don't even learn cross-species switching until third year, so don't fret just yet."

"Which classes are you most excited for?" Fred asked the group as he inhaled his ice cream.

"Flying," Angelina said, "I know first years can't join their quidditch team, but the second I can next year, I'm trying out."

"I'm looking forward to transfiguration and defense against the dark arts," Evelyn said, shrugging, "applied magic, mostly. Charms sounds lovely, too."

Over the course of the rest of the evening, the students were visited by the ghosts of Hogwarts, particularly their house ghosts. For Gryffindor, that was-

"Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington, at your service!"

A ghost adorning medieval garb floated along the length of the Gryffindor table, staring longingly at the feast.

"Oi, I've heard of you!" a Gryffindor first year said, "you're Nearly Headless Nick!"

"Nearly Headless?" Evelyn asked out loud, making the ghost turn to her, "I…don't understand."

Sir Nicholas, as if he had practiced a million times, sighed and flicked his head sharply to the side, making many gasp out loud. His head nearly came off – it looked like a beheading gone terribly wrong.

"Ah…" Evelyn said, suddenly not so hungry for her raspberry gelato any longer.

Despite their rather shocking introduction, Sir Nicholas was a lovely ghost to talk to.

"You know, Miss Evelyn," he said to her as she ate her last scoop of gelato, "you were the first Hatstall in quite a few years."

"Hatstall?" she repeated in a rather confused way.

"Why, it's when the Sorting Hat takes over five minutes to sort someone."

"Did it really take over five minutes?" Evelyn asked, eyes widening – the time sure did feel like a while.

"Just a little over five," Sir Nicholas replied, "you must have been quite complicated."

"I guess," Evelyn replied quietly.

Nevertheless, he congratulated her once again for becoming a Gryffindor, and after a few words with a couple other students, floated away out of the Great Hall. Just minutes later, Professor Dumbledore had announced that the feast was over, and that it was finally time for everyone to go to bed.

The Gryffindors followed their Prefect, Natasha Martin, up a set of marble stairs, around some corners, and down a long hallway or two before reaching their destination. On the way, Evelyn was shocked to see the hundreds of paintings around the castle moving and _talking_.

"Well," Natasha said, smiling, "here we are. Gryffindor tower. This will be your home for your time at Hogwarts. To get in, you must give the Fat Lady her password to enter. For example. _Carpe Noctem!_ "

"Not advised for homework schedules, dearies!" the portrait of a fat lady said, smiling the students before swinging open to reveal a secret opening. Natasha led the first years into a large round, cozy looking room with a warm fire burning. When all the first years were in and safe, Natasha said to the group:

"This is your common room. You are welcome to study here, hang out with friends, or even sleep. Keep in mind that it is your responsibility to clean up after yourselves. Shouldn't be too hard with a wand, eh? Anyway, no alcohol is permitted in your rooms, though third year students and above may bring butterbeer after 7pm. The girls' dormitories are up the stairs to the right, and the boys' dormitories are up and to the left. Now, off you go now, you have a long day ahead of you. Have fun at your first day of classes!"

Natasha took a break, but didn't leave. She took a seat in one of the large armchairs, most likely staying in case a student had a question. Some students had already run up to their rooms, but Evelyn stayed behind with Angelina to say goodnight to Fred and George.

"Well," Angelina said, her eyes slightly drooping, "it was a wonderful day. Glad we all made it into Gryffindor!"

"Our whole family's been in Gryffindor," Fred said.

"Yeah, so we had no worries," George added.

"But Evelyn over here gave us a scare," Fred added.

"With her five minutes fifteen second Hatstall, blimey," George finished.

"Sorry guys," Evelyn replied sheepishly, smiling slightly.

"We're just joking," George said, lightly flicking her arm.

"Well, I'm off to bed," Angelina said, "you'd best get ready for classes tomorrow. We start the day with potions. Heard Professor Snape is a nasty piece of work…"

"That's what my brothers said," Fred added quietly, "heard he favors his own house over all…"

"We'll be fine," said Angelina, began to head up towards to the dorms.

Evelyn sent a warm smile to the twins before following behind Angelina. They walked around to the first-year corner and, after a few seconds of searching, found a door with their names printed on it:

 **Allen, Wendy**

 **Barry, Juliet**

 **Johnson, Angelina**

 **Reid, Evelyn**

 **Spinnet, Alicia**

The duo looked at each other and shrugged before opening the door to their new room. It was a decent size. There were five identical four poster beds with deep red velvet curtains trimmed with gold lining. There was a wood furnace in the middle of their room, with a drying rack, most likely for them to dry their clothing. Their trunks and pet cages had been brought up for them, as well as a new set of customized Gryffindor accessories for them to wear – a tie, a cloak, a patch, among others.

"Wow," Evelyn mumbled to herself as she walked over to her bed – farthest on the left of the room, with a window right next door. As the two girls settled into their new living spaces, their three roommates entered, chattering excitedly. When they saw Angelina and Evelyn, they quieted down.

"Hi," the girl with dark hair said in a friendly voice, "I'm Alicia Spinnet."

"Juliet Barry," a tall blonde girl added.

"Wendy Allen, nice to meet you," a girl with brown hair and bright blue eyes said.

"I'm Evelyn Reid," Evelyn said, smiling shyly, "nice to meet you all."

"Angelina Johnson," Angelina said simply.

"We're going to be roommates all 7 years," Juliet said, "my sister, Amalia, is in her fifth year and still with the same roommates she met her first year."

"That's cool," Angelina said. Everyone nodded in agreement.

After talking for a few more moments, all the girls, tired from their long day, quickly changed into their pajamas. Angelina, Alicia, and Wendy had fallen asleep by the time Evelyn had gotten into bed. Juliet was writing a letter at her desk, and Evelyn was just sitting in bed, holding on tightly to her favorite stuffed animal – a turtle she named Howard. Her pet owl, Felix, who was perched on the windowsill, hooted softly for his owner's attention. Evelyn smiled to herself, slid out of bed, and sat on the windowsill with Felix perched on her arm.

"It's going to be a long seven years," she whispered to herself and Felix, "long, but also extremely productive, fun, and absolutely incredible. I just hope I'm ready for this…"


	6. V: The First Day

Evelyn woke up earlier than expected, probably due to nerves. She was up by 7, even though breakfast didn't begin until 8.

So, she quickly dressed herself in her uniform, complete with her new Gryffindor tie and cloak, and looked at her schedule.

"Let's see," she whispered to herself, looking at the timetable, "first period, potions. Second period, Defense Against the Dark Arts. Lunch, then…that's it for today, wow."

First year Gryffindors had two classes in the morning, and after lunch, had a study hall, and then their final period was a free period. Feeling good about her first day, she grabbed her Potions and Defense Against the Dark Arts books.

Walking as quietly as possible, as not to bother her roommates, Evelyn made her way down to the Gryffindor common room, where she sat in a rather large, cozy armchair. She opened her potions textbook, _Magical Drafts and Potions_ by Arsenius Jigger, and opened to a random page.

"Wideye Potion," she said quietly to herself, "ingredients: six snake fangs, 4 measures of Standard Ingredient, 6 Billywig stings, and 2 sprigs of Wolfsbane…"

She then read through some of the instructions. "…heat on medium temperature for 30 seconds…stir 3 times, counterclockwise…add 2 sprigs of Wolfsbane to your cauldron…Wow…"

Evelyn was so engrossed in her potions textbook that she didn't hear Fred, George, Angelina, and her roommates walk down from their respective dormitories.

"Moooorning," George drawled playfully, pushing the textbook down with 2 fingers.

Evelyn chuckled.

"Morning," she replied, closing her book and putting it in her bag, "off to breakfast?"

"If we can remember how to get there!" Juliet replied quietly, making everyone nod and chuckle.

The group of seven did get lost along the way, but met up with Fred and George's oldest brother, Bill, on the way, who led them down to the Great Hall.

"Just make sure you make a left at the statue, not a right," he said, as the Great Hall came into view, "just some advice."

"Thank you, Bill," Angelina said kindly, prompting the rest of the group to say their thanks as well. Bill smiled. "No problem. Head Boy, here to help."

"Oh, you're Head Boy?" Fred asked sarcastically.

"We _never_ knew!" George continued.

"Shut up," Bill replied, joking pushing his younger brothers forward a little.

The group laughed again as they took their seats at Gryffindor table. The hall was a bit emptier than last night – some students must not always eat breakfast. Evelyn, however, was not one of those people. There were pancakes, waffles, fresh fruit, applesauce, yogurts, slices of meats and cheeses, bacon, rolls, multiple kinds of juices, and much more. Grabbing a waffle, some fruit, and a couple slices of bacon, Evelyn began to eat, occasionally sipping on a goblet of apple juice.

"So, what's first?" Fred asked out loud as he stuffed his face with ham.

"Potions," Evelyn replied as she started on her blueberry yogurt, "and then Defense Against the Dark Arts. Lunch comes after, and we end with study hall and then a free period."

"Wow, we definitely got lucky with our first day," Juliet said as she bit into a cranberry muffin.

"Well, don't get too cozy. We have double charms tomorrow, flying lessons after three classes on Wednesday, double Transfiguration _and_ astronomy at midnight on Thursday, and double Potions on Friday," Evelyn recited. A couple people groaned. The group continued to eat their breakfast in relative silence until Evelyn looked at her watch.

"It's 8:45 already," she said, "we should head out and, you know, try not to get lost on the way."

"Yeah, best we get there on time," Fred said darkly, "I heard Professor Snape does not like Gryffindors, as head of Slytherin house and all…"

The group grumbled as they stood up, each grabbing his or her bag. The walk to the dungeons was surprisingly uneventful, and they didn't even get lost. The group walked into the dark classroom, where multiple students were already sitting.

"Blech, Slytherins," George whispered rather loudly. The Slytherin students rolled their eyes.

"Blech, Weasleys," one Slytherin replied, making her housemates cackle.

Fred and George sat at a table in front of Angelina and Evelyn, who sat in front of Alicia and Wendy. Juliet sat behind them.

Over the next 15 minutes, more and more Gryffindor and Slytherin students piled into the classroom. The room was full of lively chatter, laughter, and banter until the door swung open violently, making everyone shut up immediately. A rather angry looking man walked through briskly, flicking his wand three times, which shut each of the large blinds. He faced the class with a rather unpleasant look. Evelyn gulped.

 _This must be Professor Snape…_

"There will be no foolish wand-waving here in this classroom," he said in a dark voice, barely above a whisper, "you are here to learn everything about potionmaking, a rather glossed-over art in the world of magic. I expect hardly any of you to care to fully understand and respect this rather delicate and beautiful of simmering cauldron with its soft fumes, the underrated power of a seemingly harmless liquid that can bewitch and control you within seconds…I can teach you many things – from bottling fame to curing poison to brewing truth at your very fingertips, as long as you aren't the normal brainless gits I usually have to teach."

 _Lovely_ , Evelyn thought to herself as Snape began rollcall.

He called everyone's names in a rather toneless; that is, until he reached Evelyn's name, upon which he paused.

"Reid, Evelyn," he said in a slightly softer voice.

Evelyn nervously raised her hand. Snape looked at her curiously before asking, "Miss Reid, do you happen to be the daughter of Seongsu Oh?"

Rather shocked by Snape's question, Evelyn simply nodded. "Yes, Sir."

Snape didn't reply. He continued through rollcall, and once he was finished, he placed the scroll of parchment down on his desk.

"Excuse me," Fred said quickly, making Snape sigh, "you didn't call my name. Or his."

"I don't need a roster to tell me who you are, Weasley," Snape replied in a rather snarky tone, making a few Slytherins snicker, "now. Open your books to chapter one on The Forgetfulness Potion. We will learn the history and theory behind it and then apply said knowledge on Friday, when we will concoct it…Assuming everyone is paying attention, isn't that right, Mr. Jones?"

A rather tall Gryffindor with blonde hair and lanky limbs stared up at Snape with wide eyes.

"I will not tolerate interruptions while talking. You are all to be silent when I am speaking, and will speak only if you raise your hand, is that clear?" Everyone nodded except this 'Mr. Jones'.

"But Malfoy over there was talking with his friends earlier while you were talking," Mr. Jones said defiantly. Snape sneered.

"As Mr. Malfoy is in my house, I will deal with him appropriately. 10 points from Gryffindor, for your childlike pettiness and snarky tone."

With those final words, Snape walked up to the front of the classroom once again and began his lecture.

"Blimey, what's go his wand in a knot?" George grumbled as the lot walked out of Snape's classroom. The latter had taken another 10 points from Gryffindor after George snickered at something Snape had said.

"I know Charlie warned us about him, but I never expected him to be _that_ bad," Fred added.

"First day here and you Gryffindor is already 20 points down," a rather venomous voice said, amused, "I think that's a new record."

"Sod off, Flint," George spat to a rather unattractive fellow, with large front teeth and creepy eyes.

"I don't know what's worse," this Flint boy drawled, gaining a rather large of Slytherins behind him, "being a blood-traitor like the Weasleys over here, or a Mudblood, like that little girl there." He pointed to Wendy. _Mudblood?_

Evelyn knew that Flint had said something _really_ awful, because it took a number of Gryffindors to hold Fred and George back by their robes.

"You take that back!" Fred screeched, walking up and grabbing Flint by the collar, "you nasty piece of rotten dragon dung-"

"What is all the commotion?" Snape's voice echoed suddenly, making everyone shut up instantly. His tall, intimidating demeanor towered over all the students as he looked down on them disapprovingly.

"Professor, Flint here called Wendy a…a…"

"Spit it out, Weasley, I have much better things to do than listen to your rambling."

"He called Wendy a _Mudblood_ , Sir," Evelyn said in a rather quiet voice.

Something in Snape's eyes flickered for a moment; however, he maintained his composure perfectly.

"It's true though, isn't it?" Flint snickered, his Slytherin friends following suit, "Mudbloods and blood-traitors hanging out together all-"

"That is _enough_ ," Snape growled, making even Flint shut up. He turned to Fred.

"You will not touch my students again, Weasley, is that clear?"

"But Sir-"

"Is. That. Clear?"

"Sir, that is one of the-" Angelina started.

Snape sighed audibly. "Must I ask again, Johnson?"

"No," she replied in a salty voice.

"No?"

"No…Sir…" Angelina said through gritted teeth.

"Good," Snape replied as he turned to Flint, "you. Follow me."

Flint gave the Gryffindors one final nasty smile before following behind Snape, leaving Angelina, Fred, and George fuming.

"C'mon, guys, they're not worth your time," Alicia said, leading the group of Gryffindors away, "we have to get to Defense Against the Dark Arts, anyway."

Deciding that she would ask Fred what a _Mudblood_ was later, she merely followed her friend in silence. The walk to their next classroom wasn't too terrible. Their schedules allotted them 10 minutes to get to each class, which was generally enough.

The classroom they entered was relatively dark with an iron chandelier and a skeleton of a giant creature hanging from the ceiling.

"Percy told us it's a dragon," Fred said to the group as they took their seats. Fred and George, as usual, sat together. Evelyn sat next to Wendy this time, while Angelina and Juliet sat next to each other as well. Alicia decided to sit next to another friend of hers. More and more Gryffindors piled into the room over the next couple of minutes, and it wasn't until 5 minutes after the start of class that the professor scurried into the room.

The rather young-looking man was quite pale and had a rather short stature. He wore black robes and a rather attractive looking purple turban around his head.

"W-welcome, c-c-class," he said in a delicate voice, his voice _and_ body trembling, "m-my n-n-name is Pr-Professor Quirrell. I w-will do ro-roll call n-now. A-Adams, T-To-Tobias."

Because of Professor Quirrell's bad stutter, rollcall took a lot longer than it did in Potions. However, Professor Quirrell was much more enjoyable of a teacher. He was rather pleasant, albeit seemed to fear everything in the room. They began their lesson by reading about some simple creatures, such as gnomes, doxies, and imps.

"We have a bit of a gnome infestation at our house," George whispered to Evelyn, who was studiously taking notes on what Quirrell was saying, "de-gnoming a garden is quite fun, you should try it sometime."

"Okay, okay," Evelyn whispered back, not looking away from her notes and Quirrell.

The rest of the class went smoothly, with Quirrell assigning a short essay on the history of imps, due next class period.

"Well, that class was definitely more enjoyable than being in Snape's dungeon," Juliet sighed as the group walked to the Great Hall for lunch, "minus how long it takes him to say things, poor man…"

"Well, with his field of study, he probably got badly spooked while doing research in the Forbidden Forest or something," Alicia commented, making everyone chuckle.

The group arrived at the Great Hall within minutes, and once comfortable, everyone began to dig in, Evelyn included. She helped herself to a rather generous serving of fish as she looked over the chapter on imps in her textbook.

"It's called _homework_ because you do it at _home_ ," George's teasing voice said as he, once again, pushed down Evelyn's textbook with two fingers, "c'mon, don't tell me you're a good student!"

"As a matter of fact, I am," Evelyn retorted, though she couldn't help but smile.

"Well, don't be too good. You'll make us all look bad," Fred added jokingly.

The group enjoyed another hearty laugh as they continued eating, talking, and, in Evelyn's case, studying.

"You know, there is also a lot of Muggle folklore about imps," Evelyn said out loud to no one in particular, "it's quite fascinating how two very different worlds interpret magical creatures…"

"Muggles know about imps?" Fred asked with a piece of chicken in his mouth. Evelyn nodded.

"There's a famous German tale about an imp-like creature called Rumpelstilzchen who makes deals with people needing assistance. However, the deals aren't always favorable for the person asking for help, mind you. Maybe I can incorporate this into my essay…"

Fred sighed loudly as he rolled his eyes playfully, joking making fun of Evelyn's studious demeanor.

The Gryffindors then made their way to a room near the library for study hall. There were books available to use for studying; however, since it was the first day, they didn't really have much to do. Still, Madame Pince, the librarian, made them all stay quiet and work on something productive. Evelyn, for example, began her essay on the history of imps, while Fred, George, Angelina, and Alicia passed notes about quidditch.

During Evelyn's mental breaks, she thought about her family back at home, and a part of her heart hurt a little. She missed her mom and Oliver a lot, so she decided to write a letter to them.

 _Dear Mum and Dad,_

 _Greetings from Hogwarts! I absolutely_ _ **love**_ _this school! The castle is gigantic and absolutely gorgeous. The grounds are incredible too. There's the Great Lake, where apparently a giant squid lives, among many other fauna, flora, and creatures. The Forbidden Forest, or as it's sometimes called the Dark Forest, is large as well, and apparently is super creepy. No students are allowed to go into the forest, though, so there's no need to worry about me being eaten or anything._

 _The train ride was lovely! I met a bunch of new friends, and when we arrived at Hogwarts, we were all sorted. We first years put on an enchanted talking hat, and it decided where to put us. There are four houses – Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin. I got sorted into Gryffindor, and that's where all my friends are too. I almost ended up in Ravenclaw, and apparently, I was what people call a Hatstall, where the hat takes more than 5 minutes to decide. I'm very happy with where I ended up._

 _My classes so far have been pretty good. Potions class was a bit rough because the professor is heavily biased and overall quite unpleasant. Still, I'll just do my best and keep my head down. Defense Against the Dark Arts was much more enjoyable, including the professor. I'm not sure what happened in his life, but he has a heavy stutter and won't look anyone in the eye. Probably got spooked by something in the Forbidden Forest. I still have Charms, Transfiguration, History of Magic, Herbology, Astronomy, and Flying this week. I think I'm looking most forward to Charms and Transfiguration, even though we won't be doing much exciting. Still, everyone has to start from the basics._

 _The food here is amazing as well. Every meal is a feast, especially dinner. The goblets and plates refill themselves, which is totally awesome. It's mostly normal food; however, there's a drink here called 'pumpkin juice', and even though I don't like pumpkin much, the drink is very tasty. Besides food, there is a whole world of magical candy too, which I tried on the train. Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Bean has to be one of my favorites, and, like my friend Fred said, they mean_ _ **every**_ _flavor bean – I got nice flavors, like chocolate, peppermint, and banana. However, I also got flavors like pepper, grass, and dirt. Poor George got skunk flavor, yuck._

 _I am so happy right now. I have amazing friends already, even more house-mates (Gryffindor is like a second family), and I really couldn't see myself anywhere else._

 _I do still miss you two a lot, though. I'll try to write every week, and maybe I'll send something small back, if I'm allowed._

 _Love you both!_

 _Evelyn_

After finishing her letter with a cramped hand, Evelyn folded the parchment carefully and slid it into a small pocket in her bag. She glanced at her watch and noticed that it was 1:45 already – study hall ended at 1:50. She looked up at her friends and chuckled. Fred and George were asleep on their desks, heads resting on their arms. Angelina was reading a book about Quidditch, Juliet and Wendy were writing about something, and Alicia was drawing pictures of the room.

Madame Pince dismissed the Gryffindors at 1:50 sharp, and almost immediately did the group scatter. Evelyn, Angelina, Alicia, Fred, and George stood together after saying goodbye to Juliet and Wendy, who headed towards the Great Hall.

"What do you guys want to do now?" Alicia asked as they walked towards Gryffindor tower, "the weather is nice, we could take a stroll around the lake. Or we could check out the Quidditch pitch."

"I vote Quidditch pitch," Angelina said quickly, grinning. Everyone hummed in agreement.

"Let's go to the pitch," Fred confirmed.

The five friends quickly dropped off their stuffy cloaks in their rooms, and within 10 minutes, were off to the Quidditch pitch, chattering about days to come.

The Quidditch pitch was absolutely huge. Just like everything else at Hogwarts. Angelina, Fred, and George went on to explain everything about the game.

"The pitch itself is 500 feet by around 180 feet. There are five sets of spectators stands. Four, for each of the houses, and one for the faculty and staff," Fred explained, pointing to everything he talked about.

"Every second stand, as you can see, is decorated for one house, while every other stand is decorated for the opposing house, if you will," George continued.

"The goalposts are different heights, making scoring both more difficult and easier, depending on your team's strategy," Angelina added.

"There are four positions: chaser, beater, keeper, and seeker," Fred said, "chasers are the ones who score goals, keepers obviously protect their team's goals, beaters essentially defend their teammates, and the seeker, well…"

"The seeker has the most important job in the end," George finished.

"There are technically four balls in Quidditch," Angelina continued, "the quaffel is the ball the chasers use to score, and the ball the keeper tries to defend against. The bludgers, two of them, fly around and try to knock players off their brooms – hence, the need for beaters. Then, there's the golden snitch. It's a tiny ball that's very difficult for the seeker to catch because it's so fast and difficult to see."

"Each goal the chasers get is worth 10 points," Fred drawled, "and the seeker who catches the golden snitch in the end earns his or her team an extra 150 points. Usually, the team who catches the snitch wins the game."

The three Quidditch experts looked at Evelyn and Alicia, who looked at each other with wide eyes.

"Wow," Evelyn said quietly, "sounds complex."

"Once you play it, it's not too terrible," George replied, waving his hand carelessly in the air.

"You've played before?" Alicia asked as they 5 friends began to walk around the pitch.

"Freddie and I would sometimes play little scrimmages with our brothers in our yard," he explained, looking at his twin, "mind you, we were using old brooms, but they still flew regardless."

The five friends lapped the pitch twice as they talked about Quidditch, the World Cup coming up in five years, and everything related to the sport. The more they talked about quidditch, the more Evelyn wanted to fly and try the game.

"We have flying at 3:30 on Wednesday," Angelina stated when Evelyn expressed her wish to fly, "of course, we'll probably only be hovering for a few moments and then landing, but just imagine flying around the pitch at full speed. Gives me goosebumps," Angelina trailed off dreamily.

Once the sun showed signs of setting, the friends made their way back up to the school.

"I want to head up to the Owlery for a moment," she said once they got back into the building, "I have a letter I want to send my parents."

"We'll meet you in the Great Hall, I'm starving," Alicia said, nodding to Angelina.

"We'll join Evelyn for a while," Fred said, "don't steal all the chicken wings!"

Angelina and Alicia laughed out loud as they turned and walked away.

The remaining three somehow managed to get themselves to the Owlery in under 10 minutes, with the help from a few portraits.

The room was large and round with high ceilings and hundreds of perches for the hundreds of owls.

"Felix!" Evelyn called. She had let her owl out earlier that morning to give him a chance to fly around and spread his wings. Her handsome screech owl, Felix, flew down to outstretched arm immediately, hooting affectionately when she gently petted his head.

"I have a letter for you to take to my mum and dad," she said to him, all while tying her letter to his leg, "think you can do it?"

Felix nipped her hand gently and affectionately before he took off from her arm, soaring majestically into the vast skies above.

"He's a very smart owl," George commented as the trio left the Owlery moments later, "way smarter than our family owl, Errol. Poor thing's ancient and is pretty much blind in both eyes. Loses consciousness a lot, but manages to get from here to there. Most of the time…"

"Why don't you get a new owl?" Evelyn asked, immediately regretting her question when she remembered that not everyone was as fortunate as her. George didn't falter, however.

"He, uh, is just a member of the family. We couldn't get rid of him that easily…"

Deciding against telling Fred and George that she didn't care if they didn't have much money, she simply nodded, and they made their way to the Great Hall for yet another delectable feast.


	7. VI: Lessons Learned

_Tomorrow will be a wakeup call…_

Evelyn groaned as she submerged herself deeper into the water.

After returning to her dormitory after dinner that evening, she decided to take a bath in the washrooms, which were separate from the toilets. The bathroom wasn't large by any means, but the tub was decently sized and had an assortment of hair and body products to choose from. She chose her products carefully and after preparing the water, slipped into the tub.

The water was foamy and relaxing, and Evelyn fell into a deep stream of consciousness, letting her mind wander from thought to thought. Images of her most recent days came and went, from her first meeting with McGonagall, to the Sorting ceremony, back to shopping in Diagon Alley, then to waving goodbye to her parents at King's Cross.

Evelyn also thought about the rather somber conversation she had with George at dinner earlier that evening.

 _"George," Evelyn said quietly as she took a sip of pumpkin juice. George turned his head to his friend with a curious look on his face. "Evelyn?"_

 _"I…have a question," she said, "about something I heard earlier today."_

 _"Shoot," George replied, taking a rather large bit of his chicken leg. Taking a deep breath, Evelyn asked softly, "what is a Mudblood?"_

 _George immediately stopped chewing his food. A rather sour look fell upon his face, and he swallowed his food with a pained face before sighing rather disgustedly._

 _"Well," he said, "you know about the concept of blood purity, right?"_

 _"I've heard some things," Evelyn replied thoughtfully, "there are Muggleborns, with no magical parents. Half-bloods, who have one magical parent and one Muggle parent. Then Purebloods, with both parents being magical. I heard that Purebloods are arses, though-"_

 _"Oi, careful with your words," George said in an almost joking manner, letting out a half laugh, "_ _ **most**_ _Purebloods are arses."_

 _"Right, right, sorry. Forgot about that…" Evelyn said in a guilty voice, face reddening slightly. She forgot that the Weasley family was a pureblood family. George smiled slightly but continued._

 _"Anyway. Mud…you know…That's a derogatory name for a Muggleborn. Like…_ _ **really**_ _terrible name. Their magical blood is so dirty and tainted, is the idea. It's sick, really."_

 _Evelyn noticed that George was gripping his fork rather tightly, so she gently placed his hand over his. With wide eyes, George looked up at Evelyn, who didn't bat an eye._

 _"Sorry to have riled you up," she said gently, "I was just curious. Fred looked like he could have killed Flint earlier…"_

 _"I wouldn't have minded," George muttered under his breath, which Evelyn chose to ignore._

 _"Let's just forget about that for now," Evelyn continued, attempting to lighten the mood a little, "ooh, could you pass the potatoes? They look delicious…"_

Evelyn sighed and sank deeper into the water, attempting to collect her thoughts before bed.

The next morning, Evelyn woke up early once again, much to her dismay.

"Can't even get a normal night's sleep yet…" she grumbled to herself as she rolled out of bed, careful not to make any noise.

So, she followed yesterday's pattern – she dressed herself, grabbed what she needed for class, and headed down to the Gryffindor common room to read a little bit before going to breakfast.

Since the Gryffindors had four full class periods today, Evelyn decided to only take her Charms textbook, since it was a double session today. She would grab her other classes' books during lunch.

"Wingardium Leviosa…" Evelyn read to herself, looking at the lesson on levitation charms. It showed the spell's name, its correct pronunciation, its etymology, its history, and the wand movements associated with the spell itself.

Evelyn was honestly very impressed with the history behind each spell, and almost more interested in the etymology. She had taken a class on Latin roots in school years before, so as she flipped through her charms book index, she had at least a bit of an idea of what a good number of the spells did.

"Lumos," she said to herself, "probably has something to do with light…"

Surely enough, when Evelyn turned to the page on Lumos, she read: _Creates a narrow beam of light that shines from the wand's tip like a torch._

"Early morning study session again?" a playful voice said suddenly, making Evelyn jump. She looked up from her book to see Fred and George grinning down at her, with her roommates making their way down the girls' dormitory.

"Trust me," Evelyn groaned, closing her book and packing into her bag, "I would absolutely love to sleep in at least once this week."

"If you're having lots of trouble sleeping, you could probably go to the hospital wing. I heard that Madame Pomfrey, the nurse there, is exceptional when it comes to injuries. She can heal nearly everything – fixed up my older brothers multiple times over the years…" Fred said, chuckling.

"I can only imagine," Evelyn replied before looking at everyone before saying, "ready to head to breakfast?"

The seven Gryffindors made their way down to the Great Hall, chattering and laughing together. The remembered Bill's advice to make a left at the statue, not a right, and within minutes, they successfully made it to breakfast.

As the group ate their food in the rather loud hall, many gasps, "ooh's" and "wow's" resonated throughout the large room. Evelyn looked to Fred and George in confusion, but before she could say anything, her answers were answered almost immediately.

Hundreds of owls poured into the Great Hall, all carrying some kind of mail – letters, care packages, and other such items. The whole scene was quite majestic; Evelyn smiled brightly, looking up to try to find Felix. After a few moments of searching, she spotted his handsome figure flying towards her, clutching a small package in his talons. He flew down to where she sat, released the package right next to her plate, and then swooped down to perch on Evelyn's outstretched arm.

"Morning, Felix," Evelyn said lovingly to her owl, whose body seemed to lean into her shoulder, "tired from the long flight?"

Felix hooted softly, as if he understood what his owner said. She chuckled and allowed him to take a few sips of her orange juice. He drank gratefully, and gave Evelyn an affectionate nip before taking off towards the Owlery.

"Ooh, a package from your parents?" Fred asked as he and George opened small boxes, presumably from their family

"It seems so," Evelyn replied, looking down at the package. It was addressed to _Evelyn Reid, Hogwarts._ Smiling, she carefully opened the package and smiled down when she saw the contents: a letter in a beautiful teal envelope, an assortment of Muggle candy (wine gums, toffee, fruit pastilles, licorice, assorted Haribo, among others) and little snacks, a velvet box, and a small picture frame.

Evelyn extracted the candies gleefully, and then looked at the picture frame. Inside was a still family portrait of the small family from just earlier that summer. They had taken a small vacation to Oliver's family's summer house in Niedersachsen, a large state in western Germany. They had visited Oliver's extended family there, celebrating his brother's _and_ uncle's birthdays. The family had stayed for around a week before finally returning to their home in Scotland. She smiled fondly at the photo before grabbing the small velvet box. With slightly trembling hands, she opened the dark blue box to find a beautiful pair of small pearl earrings. Evelyn gasped quietly as she looked at the small pearls.

"They shouldn't have…" she mumbled to herself, willing the tears back in her eyes.

Smiling loving, she then looked at the letter, carefully opened the envelope, took out the paper, and then read the letter to herself:

 _Our dearest Evelyn,_

 _Thank you for your letter! Felix rapped on our window at dinnertime just a day after we dropped you off. It was most definitely a pleasant surprise – we were not expecting anything for at least a week! Still, it was lovely to hear from you._

 _Your school sounds wonderful so far. We are elated that you have had a great time so far. We definitely have many questions for you, assuming you're allowed to answer. How does a hat decide where you go? Does it light up or something? Have you cast any spells yet? Do you have classes with your other "housemates" or is more autonomous? Is the student body diverse? How is your dormitory? What's the homework load like? What's the grading system like? Hopefully you can answer some of our questions!_

 _I hope you enjoy this little care package. We packed all your favorite candies and sweets, since we weren't sure if you got snacks in-between classes. Plus, it will hopefully make you think of home!_

 _We also hope you love the earrings. Mikyung picked them out for you as a bit of a late congratulatory/good luck gift. We aren't sure how strict the dress code is – hopefully you'll find some time to wear them._

 _The photo is a for you to decorate your desk with. Or your bedside table, whatever works. We know you loved that trip to my dad's place._

 _Again, we hope you enjoyed our package and letter. We miss you a lot, and we cannot wait to see you at Christmas._

 _We love you!_ _사랑해_

 _Mum and Dad_

Evelyn's smile never faltered. _How sweet of them._

"What did your parents send you?" George asked as he took a bite of a licorice wand he must have received in his package.

"Some really nice gifts from my parents," Evelyn replied in a soft voice, "some candies and sweets, a framed picture of our family, some earrings, and a really nice letter."

"Your parents sound really sweet," George replied, "what kind of candy?"

"Oh," Evelyn said, looking at the pile on the table, "wine gums, some toffee, a few rolls of fruit pastilles, lots of licorice, assorted Haribo. The great stuff, you know?"

"Never heard of most of those," George stated, a goofy grin on his face, "are the wine gums alcoholic?"

"You've never had wine gums?" Evelyn exclaimed, "or Haribo?"

"Can't say I have."

Evelyn sighed.

"We'll have to change that," she said, handing him a packet of Haribo gummy bears, "share that with Fred. Let me know how you like them later. And no, the wine gums are not alcoholic."

George grinned as he accepted the package of candy from Evelyn.

"Thanks, Evelyn."

After breakfast and their package opening session, the group of Gryffindors made their way to their first class – double charms.

"Charms was Bill's favorite class for a while," Fred explained as the group walked, "until he started to take arithmancy and all. Then he got hooked on numbers. Still don't understand to this day…"

"I read a little bit of our book this morning," Evelyn said, looking up at her friends, "and I bet we'll just be starting with wand movements, or a very basic charm. Still, I'm very excited. I've never really done anything magical…consciously, at least."

"Me neither," Wendy added cheerfully, "my parents were so shocked when I received the letter to go to Hogwarts."

"Same here," Evelyn replied.

The group reached the Charms room just before the start of class. Fred and George, of course, sat together. Evelyn and Juliet ended up together, and then Alicia and Wendy, with Angelina sitting next to one of her other friends. The rest of the class was quite chattery.

"Welcome, welcome!" a rather high-pitched voice called moments later. Everyone looked up to see a tiny man with a rather long beard and welcoming smile – a relief from Snape's nasty sneer and Quirrell's ever-present stutter.

"My name is Professor Filius Flitwick. In my class, you shall cultivate and perfect your charms magic," Flitwick continued, a smile never leaving his face, "as this is the basis of many aspects of magic, you will learn a lot during your time here. I hope we can enjoy each other's company for many years to come, and I look forward to seeing you all grow to your fullest potential! Let's continue with roll call. Adams, Tobias!"

Roll call lasted a mere minute, since Flitwick luckily was not cursed with Quirrell's stutter, nor Snape's long drawl.

"Now," Flitwick said, picking up his own wand, "charms go beyond just stating the incantation out loud and flicking your wand. Each spell has a wand movement that goes along with it, and to master the spell, you must first master the movements. Remember, your wand is an extension of your very being, and the wand pattern is the basis for a spell. So, we will first perfect the wand movement before moving to the into the spells themselves.

The first spell we will practice will be the levitation spell. Repeat after me: Wingardium Leviosa!"

"Wingardium Leviosa," Evelyn repeated with the rest of the class, her heard pounding with excitement.

"Very good!" Flitwick exclaimed happily, "once more!"

"Wingardium Leviosa!"

"Excellent work!"

Flitwick then flicked his wand and instantly, a floating pile of feathers began to disperse among the students. Evelyn watched as a feather fluttered towards her and gently landed on the desk before her.

"Cool," she whispered to herself.

"Now, we will practice the wand movements for this particular incantation. As I like to say, swish and flick! Watch carefully."

Flitwick daintily flicked his wand upward slightly before bringing it back down sharply, slightly resembling a cursive 'I'.

"Please grab your wands! No incantations yet, please. I would like you to all practice the swish and flick motion individually. Point your wand in the direction of the feather, and swish and flick! Remember, no incantations! If I hear anyone, I will put you in petrify you for the rest of class. Off you go!"

Evelyn carefully grabbed her wand, which was still quite foreign to her. Holding it carefully, she copied Flitwick's hand motions as best she could.

 _Swish and flick_ , she thought to herself, _swish and flick_.

The individual practice lasted another 10 minutes or so. Flitwick walked around and watched each student perform the movement, occasionally stopping to help a him or her correct a minor error. When he reached Evelyn, he smiled.

"Let's see it, Miss Reid!"

Evelyn took a deep breath, pointed her wand at the feather, and produced the _swish and flick_ she had been practicing for the past 10 minutes.

"Very good, Miss Reid!" Flitwick exclaimed, nodding quickly before taking a couple steps over to watch Juliet.

Evelyn's heard pounded happily, and she grinned absentmindedly. She had received her first compliment in class!

She and the rest of the class continued to practice for another couple minutes while Flitwick finished his rounds around the class. When he walked back up to the front of the class, everyone quieted down.

"Well done, class!" he exclaimed, "everyone seemed to understand the _swish and flick_ perfectly! I think we are ready to go onto the next part of the lesson. No, it does not involve wands yet, I'm very sorry! Open your textbook to page 4; it should say _Wingardium Leviosa_ at the top in bold letters…"

The rest of the class period went by rather slowly. Flitwick lectured about the creation, history, uses, and precautions about the spell itself, assigning a short comprehension essay on the history of Wingardium Leviosa. They would be putting their knowledge to the test during their second lesson after the break.

"I'm beyond excited," Evelyn said out loud as she and the group stood outside the classroom, "I've dreamt every day about actually doing magic since I first learned about Hogwarts…"

"Mum would never let us touch her wand," Fred replied, sighing dramatically.

"Luckily, dad was much more…lenient, if you will," George added, winking.

"My mom was strict about her wand, too," Angelina said, "never let me touch it either."

The group continued to discuss their parents' strict (or not-so-strict) rules about their wands around their underage children. Evelyn found their stories fascinating – she could hardly imagine growing up in the magical world and not being allowed to do magic for 11 whole years. Talk about torture!

Their free time dwindled quickly, and the friends were soon back in their seats, anxiously awaiting their first lesson with their wands.

"Now," Flitwick said cheerfully, "does everyone still have their feathers?"

There were some nods and murmurs of confirmation.

"Excellent! So, we practiced the motion for Wingardium Leviosa last class, remember. Swish and flick, please repeat!"

"Swish and flick!" Evelyn repeated with the rest of the class.

"Wonderful! Let's begin, then. Please grab your wands, careful Olsson! Point your wand at the feather on the table, and, with proper pronunciation, command your incantation. Wingardium Leviosa…"

The class erupted into excited voices casting the charm. Evelyn took a deep breath before pointing her wand at the feather and saying, "Wingardium Leviosa!"

To her dismay, however, the feather did not budge. She looked around and felt slightly better when she saw that no one else in the class was successful yet. Evelyn turned back to her feather and took another deep breath, longer this time. She attempted the incantation multiple times before huffing in an annoyed manner.

 _Come on!_

She gripped her wand a little tighter, pointed it at the feather, and said with more force, "Wingardium Leviosa!"

Immediately, the feather began to slowly raise itself off the table, following the motions of Evelyn's wand. Her eyes widened as she raised the feather higher and higher off the table, not daring to blink or break concentration.

"Oh, will you look at that!" Flitwick exclaimed, his voice full of joy, "our first successful levitation charm this year! Well done, Miss Reid! 10 points to Gryffindor!"

Evelyn's heart pounded in her chest proudly as she slowly let her feather down. Juliet nudged her and smiled. "Good job!"

"Thanks," Evelyn replied, barely finding her own words.

Her first spell. Her first charm. Her first performance of _real_ magic just happened before her eyes, because of _her_. Evelyn could hardly believe it. She willed back her tears as she looked around at the rest of the class. A handful of students quickly succeeded at the charm as well, feathers high in the air. She looked at Fred and George to the side of her, who were just now raising their own feathers.

"Woo, go Fred!" Juliet said encouragingly. Fred looked back and grinned, though his feather fell gracefully down onto his desk.

"Well done, Mr. Weasley!" Flitwick exclaimed, walking over to their table, "however, let this be a lesson. A charm can only work so far as the caster is attentive and focused. Wonderful regardless! Ah, let's see yours, Mr. Weasley…"

Flitwick then turned his gaze to George, who successfully raised his feather above the desk. After Flitwick congratulated him as well and turned to watch other students, Fred and George tuned to Evelyn's and Juliet's table.

"Well, look at you two bright students," George teased, "making us all look bad, as usual!"

"Just beginner's luck," Evelyn replied bashfully, her cheeks slightly red, "you all did well also!"

"Not as well as you!"

The rest of the class was spent practicing and perfecting the levitation charm. By the end of second period, Evelyn was able to perform the charm at will, and almost every time, executed it perfectly.

"Well done, class!" Flitwick exclaimed once the group had quieted down, "before you go, I must assign a small assignment! It is merely to practice your levitation charm, as we will test your skills once again on Thursday. Magic takes practice, you know. Anyway, it appears that class is almost over. Off you go, have a wonderful rest of the day!"

With those final words, the Gryffindors quickly began to chatter, laugh, and pack up loudly. Evelyn, feeling proud of herself today in class, smiled broadly as she packed her book into her bag.

"Off to lunch now?" Alicia asked as she stood up, looking at her friend group.

"Of course," Fred replied, grinning, "I'm starving!"

"Me too!" George added.

"When are you two _not_ hungry?" Juliet asked, rolling her eyes jokingly.

"Hmm…Never!" the twins replied in unison, causing the whole group to laugh. Evelyn stood up and flattened her skirt against her legs before saying, "let's go!"

The friends chatted the entire way to the Great Hall, awaiting a filling and delicious lunch.

Evelyn sat next to George silently as the Gryffindors sat in Professor McGonagall's class in silence. There was a pretty cat sitting on her desk, and although Evelyn loved cats, she felt slightly uncomfortable. She looked at George, who shrugged.

"I wonder what's taking Professor McGonagall so long," one kid on the other side of the room said out loud suddenly, "at this rate, half our class period will be gone!"

"Maybe we won't get homework then," another kid said, causing the Gryffindors to laugh out loud, breaking the tense silence.

"I think someone's late," Fred said, turning to Evelyn and George, "and I heard that Professor doesn't like people being late…"

As if on cue, a single tiny boy came running into the classroom with his tie undone and hair messy, breathing heavily. He looked around the classroom, and when he saw that McGonagall hadn't arrived yet, he sighed in relief.

"Thank goodness," he managed to breath out, taking the only open seat towards the front, "she would have killed me."

Seconds later, however, a series of gasps erupted in the classroom, Evelyn included. In an instant, the cat that had been sitting on the desk jumped up and, well…turned into McGonagall herself. She walked over to the boy, who sank deeper into his seat, his embarrassment evident on his face.

"I can't say I would have killed you, Muller," McGonagall said, her voice rather emotionless, "however, for your tardiness, I must take 5 points off Gryffindor."

Many students gasped, other moaned.

"But you're our head of house!" a girl called from the back, "and Snape already took 20 points off us yesterday!"

" _Professor_ Snape, Wilson," McGonagall corrected, "and I am thoroughly aware. Although I am indeed your head of house, I cannot morally show favoritism to any one house. I am a proud Gryffindor, and will unwaveringly defend you in the instance that you are treated unfairly. However, if anyone in my house has done anything wrong, I also must be fair and punish accordingly. I don't care if other heads of houses are biased; I hold myself to higher standards, and expect you all to as well. Is that clear?"

Evelyn could hear a jab at Snape in her speech, and she nodded along with the others.

"Good," McGonagall said, her tone a bit softer, "though Muller lost you 5 points today, each and every one of you has a chance to earn back many more points this year. As I said in my speech when you arrived at Hogwarts: your triumphs and successes will earn you points for your house, while any rule breaking will lose your house points. I know each of you is capable of great things. Show me that, and you will be rewarded."

The rest of the class murmured their agreement, and almost instantly did McGonagall begin class – apparently, she already knew that everyone was here, and who they were.

She explained how transfiguration was a precise and rather dangerous branch of magic. One wand error, one mispronunciation, and everything could go terribly wrong. To quote McGonagall: "Transfiguration is some of the most complex and dangerous magic you will learn at Hogwarts. Anyone messing around in my class will leave and not come back. You have been warned." However, if everything was done correctly, rather miraculous and amazing results could happen. There were different kinds of transfiguration – cross-species transfiguration, human transfiguration, and many others. There were many limits to transfiguration, including the infamous Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration, which was the topic they began with.

"I'm not sure whether to be impressed or terrified," Fred mumbled as the group walked out of McGonagall's classroom after transfiguration, "she's quite intimidating."

"She's the one who first arrived at my house and told me about Hogwarts," Evelyn replied, pulling her schedule out of her bag, "she's a lovely lady, really."

"Trust me, I believe it," Fred replied, "but the way she looked at Muller for being late…" He shuddered dramatically.

"I guess we know not to be late, then," Angelina said, "by the way, what's next?"

"History of Magic," Juliet said, "is that the class where the professor is a ghost?"

"So I heard," Wendy replied as everyone nodded, "heard it while we were waiting for the sorting ceremony to begin…"

"Charlie told me his class is dead boring," George said, laughing as he added, "no pun intended."

"Yeah… Said he fell asleep every single class period and still managed an A in the class."

"Isn't that good, though? An A?" Wendy asked. She looked at Evelyn, who shook her head.

"Well, good enough," Angelina said, "the grading system is a bit different here. O is for _Outstanding_ , that's the best grade. E's the next best, for _Exceeds Expectations_. Then A, for _Acceptable_ …"

"The failing grades are P, for _Poor_ ," Fred said.

"D, for _Dreadful_ ," George added.

"And T, for _Troll_ ," the twins finished in unison.

"What happens if you fail a class?" Evelyn asked apprehensively.

"Well, I'm not totally sure," Alicia added, shrugging, "I was under the impression that is' bad…but not the end of the world."

"Yeah, don't worry too, too much," George said, smiling reassuringly, "Bill said he once got a D in History of Magic, and was still able to graduate fine and go on to get a good job."

There was a mutual group sigh of relief.

History of Magic really was just as boring as everyone said it would be.

Evelyn tried her very hardest to be attentive, take notes, and be a good student. However, Professor Cuthbert Binns' monotonous voice, dull personality, and rather boring lectures were enough to put even her to sleep.

The one positive aspect of Binns' complete apathy was that he did not care whatsoever about what his students did in his class. He didn't call roll call, he didn't notice students passing notes, and he could hardly care less if students fell asleep.

 _As long as I pass the class_ Evelyn thought to herself _I don't care what class is like…_


End file.
